Statement by PennEnvironment on Philadelphia Energy Campaign Announcement
PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center
Philadelphia is known for its history. Now it’s time to make history with the Philadelphia Energy Campaign. This is a great opportunity for our city to lead the nation in developing a flourishing green economy, and to create a blueprint for other cities to follow.
We applaud Council President Clarke, Mayor Kenney and the Philadelphia Energy Authority for proposing this historic step toward a clean energy future for Philadelphia.
The initiative demonstrates that creating a green economy is a win-win—it will both create thousands of local jobs and save taxpayer money.
These savings will allow city government, the school district, small businesses and homeowners to put money into what matters to our community instead of paying unnecessarily high heating and electricity bills.
As a citizen-based group, PennEnvironment staff talk with tens of thousands of Philadelphians every year about our environment and energy. And one thing is clear: there is overwhelming support for clean energy and strong action to tackle climate change. PennEnvironment is excited that our elected officials recognize this public support and are now acting on it.
Today, buildings are the single largest source of climate pollution in Philadelphia. By expanding renewable energy and reducing our energy usage, this initiative will help decrease our reliance on dirty fossil fuels and nuclear energy.
The time to act is now. We urge City Council, the Mayor’s Office and Philadelphia Energy Authority to move swiftly and decisively to make the Philadelphia Energy Campaign a reality.
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The Philadelphia Energy Campaign will leverage $1 billion dollars of private and public financing to expand energy efficiency programs and solar energy in Philadelphia. This 10-year investment will target low-income communities, public schools, small businesses and municipal buildings. In the process, it will generate thousands local clean energy jobs and return $200 million of savings to the economy.