Small Town Mayor Launches Coalition for Clean Energy Future

Mayor Mondale Robinson is proving that big change can start in the smallest places.

In Enfield, North Carolina, a town of 2,000 where average household income hovers near the poverty line, Robinson is pursuing an ambitious clean energy vision. He wants to build a solar farm to power the entire town, replace its aging substation, and create a thermal energy network to slash sky-high electric bills.

But Robinson faces a familiar problem. As mayor, he earns $500 monthly and has no sustainability officers, grant writers, or policy teams to help turn these dreams into reality.

His solution? Build the coalition that small towns desperately need.

In September, Robinson announced the National Conference of Small Cities and Rural Mayors, designed specifically for leaders of communities under 30,000 people. The existing U.S. Conference of Mayors only offers full membership to larger cities, leaving 93% of American municipalities without a seat at the table.

The numbers tell a powerful story. These overlooked towns house 60 million Americans yet receive just 10% of philanthropic funding. "If you consider rural people as a collective, we will be bigger than the largest populated state in this country," Robinson said.

He's already proving what's possible with almost nothing. Lawyers from the Southern Environmental Law Center are helping negotiate Enfield's electricity contracts. Duke University researchers are designing a geothermal project. The town formed Enfield Energy Futures, a nonprofit that won seed funding for what could become the Southeast's first utility-run thermal energy network.

Now Robinson is recruiting 100 founding mayors and anchor foundations to launch his coalition. The group will provide training, peer networks, regional collaboration, and a unified voice in federal policy discussions.

The Ripple Effect

Robinson believes small towns are ideal testing grounds for clean energy innovation. With minimal footprints and greater flexibility than big cities, these communities can move faster and smarter on new solutions.

His coalition could transform how America addresses climate change. When thousands of small towns work together, they become impossible to ignore. They gain access to experts, attract new donors, and shape policies that reflect their unique challenges.

The work happening in Enfield today could soon improve life for millions living in similar communities across the country.

"One small town can be ignored," Robinson said. "Thousands of organized small towns become a national constituency."