Tampa becomes the latest Florida city to unveil a climate action plan
After about two years of work, Tampa officials on Friday unveiled a 156-page “Climate Action and Justice Plan,” becoming the latest local government in Florida to chart a path for the transition to renewable energy and the city’s resilience to the effects of climate increased change.
The plan comes just days after two federal agencies released guidance that will, for the first time, allow local and state governments and nonprofits to access clean energy tax credits stemming from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the country’s nearly contained $370 billion.
“This plan is a blueprint for the future. It will guide our decision-making in many ways,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor as she unveiled the plan at a South Tampa community center where construction of a solar roof is currently underway. “Our stormwater projects will accommodate heavier and more intense rainfall, equip community centers with energy-efficient solar panels, and we will continue to promote more sustainable transit options.”
She said the plan has three goals: reducing the city’s carbon emissions, building climate-friendly infrastructure and “supporting all citizens in doing so.”
In developing the plan, the City of Tampa worked with the CLEO Institute, a non-profit organization focused on frontline climate education and community engagement, to gather input from local residents on climate issues such as flooding, excessive heat, and improving communications to gather for emergency preparedness.
The Tampa Climate Action and Equity Plan includes 143 specific initiatives organized into 10 climate change categories: Energy, Water and Sanitation, Stormwater, Transportation and Land Use, Waste Management, Housing and Development, Community, Habitat and Environment, Nutrition and Governance. The plan comes into effect a year after Congress approved it and President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law.
TIME magazine described the bill as “the most significant climate legislation in US history,” with $369 billion earmarked for addressing climate change and almost three-quarters of that – $270 billion – would be implemented through tax incentives, it said the US Department of Climate Protection Treasury.
This week, the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service released guidance on the provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act that will allow local, state and tribal governments, as well as nonprofit organizations and other entities, to take advantage of clean energy tax credits.
“Cities like Tampa, local communities, nonprofits, churches, school districts and rural electric cooperatives now receive 30% cash back on every clean energy project they build in their communities,” said Kathy Castor, US Democratic Representative for Hillsborough County. “So what Tampa will do for you is help you save, because when we save money here at a community center, the money goes back into the pockets of taxpayers across the country.” That’s money that we can use to lower our electricity bills. And it’s just the beginning.”
The report details how the city initiated a study to define 20 buildings suitable for the use of solar energy. Total costs are estimated at $14 million and the investment will pay for itself in just over 11 years.
Several of the state’s largest communities, such as Miami-Dade and Broward counties, have established their own climate action plans, and more than a decade ago, the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact was formed, encompassing more than six million people.
Local environmentalists who attended the press conference praised the plan.
“It’s going to protect people’s health,” said Susan Glickman of Florida Clinicians for Climate Action. “It will help them save money by reducing their energy use, which will help us reduce the dangerous pollution we put into the atmosphere that is warming the planet.”
“The city has taken into account many of the community’s needs and ensured that it is not just a municipal plan, but that there are actions that invest directly in the community through policies mandating a move to phase out fossil fuels” , said Brooke Errett, chief organizer of Food & Water Watch in Florida. “To incentivize solar energy and help weatherproof homes for those who may not be able to afford it. The focus is on eliminating fossil fuels and increasing energy efficiency.”
However, Errett says the plan needs support from surrounding local county government as well.
“The Hillsborough County Commission needs to pass a similar climate protection and justice plan,” she said. “Tampa can’t do that in a silo. We are part of a much larger region and especially given the funds required for this transition, we need to access federal funds. The county has to be part of it, the region has to be part of it.”