Tampa Bay Clean Cities Coalition is Reborn

by Alison Lueders, Great Green Editing

The Patel School of Global Sustainability at USF hosted a signing ceremony yesterday morning. In front of a crowd of well over 100 people, USF President Judy Genshaft, TECO President John Ramil and Hillsborough County EPC Director Richard Garrity formally launched this joint effort between public and private institutions to get the Tampa Bay region on the road to more sustainable transportation systems.

In this case, “Tampa Bay” comprises the 6 counties of Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota. Tampa Bay now joins 100 such coalitions around the country that dedicate themselves to cleaner air, use of alternative fuels, and greater energy efficiency.

The Coalition’s first step is to obtain official designation from the U.S. Department of Energy as a Clean Cities Coalition. With that designation, the Tampa Bay region can compete for funds to support alternative energy projects that reduce dependence on petroleum, while contributing to economic development.

The overall Project Director is Dr. Stephen Reich of USF, a 30 year veteran in the field of transportation finance and energy. He wrapped up his remarks with an invitation to all those present to get involved in this initiative. He can be reached at reich@cutr.usf.edu if you’d like to know more.