TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The City of Tallahassee will participate Saturday in Earth Hour, a global energy awareness initiative of the World Wildlife Foundation.
Other cities and millions of people worldwide are expected to demonstrate their support.
The city will turn off non-essential lights in select city-owned and operated facilities from 8:30-9:30 p.m. Saturday as a symbolic action to spotlight the importance of energy conservation and natural resource preservation.
Area residents are encouraged to participate, too, by turning lights off in their homes and businesses during this 60-minute period (or longer) as feasible.
"Participating in Earth Hour is another way that, together, we can demonstrate our commitment to being an environmentally conscious community," Mayor Andrew Gillum said.
The city has a longstanding commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting alternative energies and supporting innovative sustainability projects.
Last October, the Tallahassee City Commission voted unanimously to have staff bring back a recommendation for a community plan to be 100 percent sustainable by 2035.
Planning is underway for a second Tallahassee Solar farm, which is expected to be twice as big as the community's first solar farm and power an additional 6,800 homes and businesses in the Capital City.
Utility customers who wish to sign up for the Tallahassee Solar waiting list can visit Talgov.com/Solar.
In 2017, an unprecedented 187 countries and territories and more than 3,000 landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Statue of Liberty in New York, took part in Earth Hour, according to WWF.
For more information about Earth Hour, visit wwf.org.
