Laramie community members came together to celebrate Sun Day this weekend with the support of a host of community partners. The event was hosted at Laramie’s zero waste coffee shop, Sunshine Coffee, located inside the historic Laramie Plains Civic Center. It was exciting to not only host Sun Day at the most aptly named venue in town, but also to support the critical efforts that local businesses are making to move towards a sustainable future. Over 40 participants gathered throughout the day to talk solar, clean energy tax credits, and make art with the power of the sun.
We were joined by great community partners, including local artist Rhiannon Jakopak from the civic center’s own artist collective, Jackrabbit Workshop. Rhiannon led us through a cyanotyping activity where folks created their own prints using sunshine and plant materials!
We were also joined by the City of Laramie and City Councilor Erin O’Doherty. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about the positive impacts of community solar on Laramie’s commitment to clean energy– in 2024, the City of Laramie passed Resolution 2024-01, supporting the Laramie Municipal Emissions Reduction Plan and marking a commitment to be carbon neutral by 2050.
Community solar arrays have played a significant role in Laramie’s progress towards both carbon neutrality and affordability- residents can see the savings provided through solar arrays at municipal buildings like the Laramie Recreation Center, Ice and Event Center, and Fire Station 3 in real time via live system monitoring.
Participants also had the chance to check out a solar panel + battery storage demonstration.
Our other community partners included the Alliance for Renewable Energy, which continues to play an instrumental role in supporting Laramie’s climate goals. Regional solar company Creative Energies provided information on residential solar opportunities and items for our raffle, and the UW Sustainability Coalition supported us in turning out students to support clean energy. As a result, Sierra Club Wyoming met with nearly a dozen young folks interested in getting more involved in community action!
Overall, it was a beautiful day to support solar! This was an amazing opportunity to build support for clean energy and meet other community members. While it is clear that there is still a lot of work to be done to support Wyoming’s clean energy future, it was encouraging to see the benefits that community solar has already provided for Laramie.
