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8 <br /> 1 A motion was made Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Price for <br /> 2 Commissioner Rich to Chair the remainder of the meeting. <br /> 3 <br /> 4 VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> 5 <br /> 6 Commissioner Price referred to the strategic plan, and the addition of zones, and asked <br /> 7 if it would be possible to expand the key services of this program to include the entire county. <br /> 8 She asked if staff would gather information about this idea. <br /> 9 Coby Austin said others have asked that same question, such as the CHCCS, who is <br /> 10 considering replicating the kindergarten readiness camp with other schools. She said during <br /> 11 the strategic planning process, FSA will figure out what the decision making process should be, <br /> 12 if and when expansion occurs. She said the main constraint at this point is resources, but there <br /> 13 is desire for expansion. <br /> 14 <br /> 15 c. Proposed Resolution In Support of a Local, State, and National Goal of 100% <br /> 16 Clean Energy By 2050 and the Creation of Green Jobs <br /> 17 The Board considered adoption of a resolution to create a goal to transition to a 100% <br /> 18 renewable energy based economy by 2050. <br /> 19 Brennan Bouma, Sustainability Coordinator, made this presentation. <br /> 20 <br /> 21 BACKGROUND: <br /> 22 In April 2017, on behalf of the North Carolina Climate Solutions Coalition (NCCSC), a group of <br /> 23 Orange County residents contacted Commissioner Renee Price to request that the Orange <br /> 24 County Board of Commissioners consider the adoption of a resolution stating a commitment to <br /> 25 transition to a 100% renewable energy based economy by 2050. <br /> 26 <br /> 27 According to the NCCSC website, similar resolutions have been adopted in 10 other local <br /> 28 governments across North Carolina. The core scientific framework of this initiative was laid out <br /> 29 in a Stanford University and University of California-Berkeley study which concludes that the US <br /> 30 energy supply move to 100% renewable energy by the year 2050 using current technologies <br /> 31 while creating green jobs and promoting economic development. <br /> 32 <br /> 33 The draft resolution prepared by the NCCSC was referred to the Department of Environment, <br /> 34 Agriculture, Parks and Recreation as well as the Commission for the Environment (CFE) for <br /> 35 review. Over the course of two monthly meetings in May and June, the CFE interviewed the <br /> 36 residents and reviewed the draft resolution and background. After review and discussion, the <br /> 37 CFE amended the original draft resolution to clarify that it applies to Orange County as well as <br /> 38 to the state and the nation. The edited resolution was satisfactory to the residents who brought <br /> 39 it forward. <br /> 40 <br /> 41 Based on the potential environmental and economic benefits related to transitioning to <br /> 42 renewable energy, the CFE now recommends the adoption of this resolution by the Board of <br /> 43 Orange County Commissioners. <br /> 44 <br /> 45 FINANCIAL IMPACT: Given the steeply declining price of utility-scale renewable energy <br /> 46 production nationwide, and the idea that most if not all current fossil fuel-based power plants <br /> 47 will need to be replaced before 2050, it is reasonable to expect market forces to drive a <br /> 48 transition to renewable energy. The CFE therefore expects that there will be no financial impact <br /> 49 to Orange County associated with consideration of this resolution. <br /> 50 <br />