Author Archives: Mark Lannaman

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just released $26 million nationwide to help remove unsafe levels of lead found in children’s drinking water at schools.  The grant funds released last Thursday August 22 at the direction of the Biden-Harris administration includes $1,152,000 million for Georgia. The funding stems from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed in 2021, […]

Oakhurst Presbyterian Church, located in Decatur, has officially completed this first month being partially powered through solar with the help of funds from the landmark Inflation Reduction Act and Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL), a group focused on hel;ing communities of faith adopt practical climate solutions.  The church’s solar system officially went online on […]

Georgia WAND and Georgia Conservation Voters (GCV) teamed up to sue the state of Georgia over what they are calling illegal practices.  The lawsuit alleges that “Georgia violated state constitution with HB-1312, which unilaterally blocked public service commissioner elections and allowed sitting members to rubberstamp controversial utility bill hikes, the highest in state history.” The […]

A new organization, Upson Environmental & Government Transparency, was formed last month in response to a proposed $1 billion plastic pyrolysis facility from the California-based company Brightmark in Thomaston, Ga. Brightmark, founded in 2016, previously aimed to build a similar facility in Macon, Ga., which would have been the world’s largest plastic-to-fuel facility but was […]

A new training program called the Equitable Development Initiative is looking to train investors to bring more affordable housing to Atlanta.  The program is being organized by Capital Impact Partners, a community development financial institution (CDFI) and part of the Momentus Capital brand which focuses on financing for disinvested communities. The application period closed on […]

The U.S. Department of Energy announced three student-led teams as winners for the final phase of its Collegiate Track of the American-Made Community Energy Innovation Prize, including one team from Atlanta. This final phase called the IMPACT phase, awarded the three teams’ community partners a total of $100,000. The pitch to be selected as a […]

Roots, a privately held Regulation A+ Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), is using a mutually beneficial “win-win” model to make renting more rewarding for their tenants and themselves. The “Live In It Like You Own It” model is simple: renters earn a rent rebate each quarter for being a good tenant. The relationship is designed […]

In early 2024, the City of Atlanta announced a joint electric bike rebate program alongside the Atlanta Regional Commission and Propel ATL. That time has finally arrived. Starting Sunday June 16, City of Atlanta residents could apply for one of four rebate program tiers: Expecting a high demand of applicants, the city only gave a […]

A week-long paddle expedition by a group of environmentalists called Paddle Georgia is drawing attention to Georgia’s rivers.  On June 15, 290 paddlers took to their canoes and kayaks to paddle 107 miles down Georgia’s Altamaha River, with a goal of educating and raising awareness both for outsiders and the participants themselves. The Altamaha is […]

A free training program in DeKalb County called Bubble Tech Bootcamp is launching its first cohort in early June, aimed at teaching the software Bubble, a visual programming platform that requires little to no code from users, to participants from the immigrant and refugee community.  The initiative, officially kicking off on June 11, is a […]

On May 6, the City of Norcross approved Gwinnett Housing Corporation’s rezoning request for a 1.33 acre property on Medlock Bridge Road to allow 16 townhomes for students and their families facing housing insecurity staying in extended-stay rooms — typically motels. The property is owned by Gwinnett County Water and Sewer Authority — a publicly […]

A Forever Young Aquaponics facility broke ground in Jonesboro last Thursday, which will be able to produce food locally for cities around the Southeast including Atlanta. Aquaponics is an agricultural technique that combines hydroponics — growing plants without soil, a technique often seen in vertical farms — and aquaculture — cultivating fish in an enclosed […]

Cherry Street Energy opened their new office building, and with it, a “Solar School” earlier this month.  With a growing team, along with big contracts like City of Atlanta, Fulton County, Emory, Savannah and Chatham County, the company decided it was time to move into a space that reflected that growth.   The company moved from […]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced it’s sending $7 billion dollars out in a wave of funding for the Solar for All program, and a Georgia coalition is receiving over $156 million of it.  Solar for All is a function of President Biden’s clean energy agenda; the program itself was born out of the […]

The Spark 5k run and walk is returning to Piedmont Park on May 9. This year all the proceeds will go towards two Atlanta-founded nonprofits. The race, sponsored by Roark Capital, will send dozens of participants racing through Piedmont Park. Funds will go towards the Kyle Pease Foundation (KFP), which advocates for people with disabilities […]

The Sundance Film Festival, the nation’s largest independent film showcasing, could be looking for a new host city to call home for the legendary festival — and Savannah might just fit that bill. The festival has been held in Park City, Utah, since 1978 and is by far the biggest event held there. From the […]

On May 1, the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB) held a ribbon cutting ceremony for their new community food center location in Jonesboro, which aims to increase access to fresh food in the area. ACFB serves 29 counties across Metro Atlanta and North Georgia. Jonesboro, located in Clayton County, has a median household income of […]