Oxford joins sustainability coalition

Access to the Power a Clean Future Ohio’s services comes at no cost to the city.

Oxford has joined more than 40 Ohio communities in membership to the Power a Clean Future Ohio coalition — a non-partisan consortium meant to help municipalities develop and implement clean energy solutions across the state.

City council passed the resolution last week.

Assistant City Manager Jessica Greene described PCFO as a “nonprofit advocacy group and a technical assistance group that helps with climate efforts.”

By joining PCFO, Greene said Oxford will now have access to the coalition’s technical assistance committee, which helps communities with grants and and consults municipalities to “look at climate change through an equity lens.”

Access to the coalition’s services comes at no cost to the city.

PCFO’s listed goals include attracting clean energy partnerships, lowering energy costs for residents, reducing carbon footprints in member communities and implementing equitable policy solutions related to clean energy.

Oxford’s membership aligns with the city’s overall goals to become more environmentally sustainable, and any future project assisted by the coalition will theoretically help council fulfill its promise to get the city to net carbon neutrality by 2045.

Residents and city officials met at Oxford Seniors last Thursday for a public input session on all steps the city has taken and could take in order to achieve that goal.

Currently, Oxford is in contract to build a two-tothree megawatt solar farm on the city’s old landfill; the Butler County Regional Transit Authority is moving ever-closer to breaking ground on a multi-million dollar public transportation hub off of Chestnut Street; and the city will soon have its first ever full-time Climate Sustainability Coordinator once Miami University student Reena Murphy, who has worked with the city for a year as its Climate Graduate intern, starts in her new position this July.