Manatee County is responsible for many innovative resiliency actions that benefit the community. Manatee County staff participated in a meeting associated with the first round of the NREL SEIN program, and worked closely with TBRPC to develop the project proposal. “We consider the nexus of energy, resilience and public safety as mission critical,” said Manatee County Administrator Cheri Coryea. “We have key staff members in place who allow Manatee County to expand both its involvement and coordination with the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, and other area municipalities, to meet the needs of our organization and community.”
“Manatee County, with support from the USF Patel College of Global Sustainability just completed a solar feasibility assessment of all county buildings and facilities,” said Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh. “This Clear Sky project will give local governments, businesses and organizations new tools to conduct a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis which goes beyond energy savings to understand how it will reduce community risks.”
- Manatee County has partnered with USF-Patel College of Global Sustainability to conduct both a GHG inventory and solar siting research for the County.
- The Manatee County drone program improves building repair and energy management best practices (see drone aerial above).
- The County’s widely recognized GIS program is responsible for creating interactive maps showcasing County parks and community gardens, as well as an internally designed “Sea Level Rise Inundation Mapper” (featured below) for the County.
The Clear Sky Tampa Bay partnership with TBRPC will further build on the County’s solar siting research, targeting “resiliency” as a priority for our critical infrastructure, and for our County as a whole.