Starting Coalitions
Although Clean Cities is a voluntary effort, there are specific steps to become a designated coalition. The first step is to form a coalition of community stakeholders.
Stakeholder participation is essential to the success of a Clean Cities coalition. There are several strategies new coalitions can use to attract and maintain stakeholders. Coalitions should:
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Urge members to attend regular meetings and participate in the steering committee and working groups.
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Use stakeholders and the steering committee as resources to generate positive, frequent media coverage.
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Develop a plan for accomplishing reasonable, well-supported goals.
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Establish task groups to split the workload, build support for goals, and facilitate progress.
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Partner with air quality officials to create state or regional pollution-reduction plans that include the five technology areas. This will help give Clean Cities members access federal funding.
Coalitions receive guidance from their Project Management Center before, during, and after designation from the U.S. Department of Energy. However, each coalition is responsible for forming its own group of stakeholders, holding meetings, identifying and funding a coordinator, defining goals with action steps, developing a strategic program plan, and building a market foundation prior to designation.
Designation is not a rubber stamp that denotes a community as "clean." It is a process that can take at least two years to complete. The Clean Cities Designation Guide, (PDF 464 KB) Download Adobe Reader, offers step-by-step instructions on how to start a coalition.