Resolution Supporting Wind Passes on Tybee Island
Tybee Island, Ga. (February 27, 2012) – The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) would like to commend the Tybee Island City Council for passing the “Tybee Island Wind Power Resolution.” The resolution recognized the significance of the coastal Southeast’s vast wind resource and its opportunity for affordable, clean, renewable energy and economic development. City Councilman Paul Wolff presented the resolution last Thursday and it passed with a 4-3 vote. As the first municipality in Georgia to pass a resolution like this, Tybee Island has broken ground for local governments to provide leadership in building a clean energy economy.
“The more I talk to people about the benefits of developing wind resources from an environmental, economic, and philosophical standpoint, [the more] I find that most people agree that developing wind resources would be beneficial but that there seems to be no political will to move forward,” said Councilman Wolff. “As an elected official, I felt it was my responsibility to show that at least one local government in Georgia is in favor of developing wind resources for our community, our nation, and the world at large.”
SACE agrees with Wolff, noting that Georgia has enough offshore wind resources to power up to 3 million homes with clean, nonpolluting energy. Furthermore, the development of wind energy presents key economic opportunities by bringing thousands of new jobs to the state while offering energy to ratepayers at a stable price which will not be subject to commodity price swings like coal or natural gas.
Anna Cayce Smit, Clean Energy Associate for SACE was recently on Tybee Island promoting offshore wind energy for Georgia.
“I was inspired by the growing optimism for wind energy within the local community,” said Smit. “Councilman Wolff has been an excellent proponent for wind energy and we laud him for his forward thinking and leadership. SACE will continue to work to ensure that the momentum that was established with this resolution inspires other communities to accept similar resolutions in the near future. More work is needed at the local, state and federal level and the City of Tybee Island has taken a pioneering first step in support of sensible energy development that other government bodies would benefit from following.”
The adopted resolution can be viewed on SACE’s website here and at http://www.cleanenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2012-02-24_Tybee_Wind_Resolution.pdf
More information about wind energy is available on SACE’s website here and at http://www.cleanenergy.org/learn/learn-about/learn-about-wind/ # # # Southern Alliance for Clean Energy is a nonprofit organization that promotes responsible energy choices that create global warming solutions and ensure clean, safe, and healthy communities throughout the Southeast. www.cleanenergy.org