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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
ESTABLISHING THE COOK COUNTY K-12 SOLAR SCHOOLS INITIATIVE
WHEREAS, Cook County supports the use of electricity from renewable sources instead of fossil fuels as part of its overall goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050; and
WHEREAS, the Cook County Policy Roadmap's ("Roadmap") Sustainable Communities goal is to support healthy, resilient communities that thrive economically, socially, and environmentally; and
WHEREAS, the Roadmap acknowledges the County must address past environmental injustices in underserved communities including the effects of climate change, uneven development, and persistent segregation; and
WHEREAS, the Roadmap sets forth the objective of ensuring environmental justice and a healthy environment for all people and places and advancing racial equity; and
WHEREAS, the Roadmap also sets forth the objective of reducing climate change and providing ways to mitigate it effects by prioritizing renewable energy development; and
WHEREAS, on November 21, 2019, the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved the 2020 Annual Appropriation which included Budget Amendment 13 ("Amendment"), as passed by the Finance Committee and the County Board, to use $120,000 in funds from the Solid Waste Special Purpose Fund to create a program that would provide up to two schools with solar paneled roofs; and
WHEREAS, the Amendment provides that the participating schools would build a science, technology, engineering and mathematics ("STEM") program around the solar paneled roofs to encourage more children to join engineering, environmental sciences, and other STEM programs; and
WHEREAS, the Amendment provides that the solar panels will provide an educational component by allowing students to track the energy generated and saved as a result of the solar panels, while providing a cost savings for the participating schools; and
WHEREAS, the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation's ("Foundation") K-12 Solar Schools Program ("...
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