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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMP GROUP-BUY PROGRAM FOR COOK COUNTY RESIDENTS RESOLUTION
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 also sets forth the objective of reducing climate change and providing ways to mitigate it effects by prioritizing renewable energy development; and
WHEREAS, since 2019, Cook County has supported the Grow Solar Chicagoland program, a solar group-buy program run by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) and Citizens Utility Board (CUB) to make solar panel installation more affordable and easier to obtain for Chicagoland residents through community education and volume purchasing to reduce the cost of installation and materials; and
WHEREAS, 165 Cook County residents have installed a total of 1089 kW of solar on their homes through Grow Solar Chicagoland; and
WHEREAS, Cook County does not contribute financially to this program, but supports Grow Solar Chicagoland by amplifying awareness of the program through marketing and promotion; and
WHEREAS, MREA and CUB will be expanding renewable energy offerings through a geothermal and air source heat pump group-buy program in Chicagoland to further education and provide volume pricing to reduce the cost of installation and materials for Cook County residents; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Cook County Board of Commissioners, that Cook County Government is hereby authorized to participate in the pilot group-buy program for geothermal and air source heat pump technologies to further community education and volume pricing of additional renewable energy technologies to benefit Cook County residents.
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