Author: mmyrtetus

March 16, 2020

Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA) COVID-19 Update

As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, PEA remains focused on keeping our programs up and running while keeping our team, students and partners safe. PEA staff will be working remotely going forward, but all programs will be fully operational during that time. As you know, the coronavirus news changes day by day, so we will continue to keep you posted as things change.

  • Water and Sewer Line Protection Program: PEA partners with American Water Resources to offer a water and sewer line protection program for Philadelphia homeowners. If you require assistance with your existing account or if you would like to enroll, please contact American Water Resources at 844-765-7260. You can also reach Alon Abramson, PEA’s Program Manager at aabramson@philaenergy.org with other questions or concerns.
  • C-PACE: PEA is the Program Administrator for the Philadelphia C-PACE program, a financing tool for commercial buildings to pay for energy efficiency, water conservation and clean energy projects. We will continue to accept and review applications and serve as a resource to all interested in the program. You can reach CPACE Program Manager Maryrose Myrtetus at CPACE@philaenergy.org. All in-person C-PACE events are postponed until further notice. Here is an updated list of upcoming online C-PACE events:

– March 19 @ 2pm – Webinar on the Philadelphia C-PACE Application Process. Register here.
– March 25 @ 4pm – C-PACE: Connecting the Dots events hosted by Burns Mechanical – POSTPONED
– April 7 @ 3:30pm – Kick-Off to a C-PACE Webinar Series hosted by White & Williams and Counterpointe SRE. Register here.

  • Philadelphia Solar Rebate: In a bright spot, on March 16th, PEA opened applications for the Philadelphia Solar Rebate. This is an incentive program of $0.20/watt for residential projects and $0.10/watt for commercial projects. All projects that received Permission to Operate (PTO) on or after July 1, 2019 are eligible to apply. Go to gov/solar-rebate to learn more and apply. Contact SolarRebate@philaenergy.org with questions.
  • Bright Solar Futures – PEA’s Bright Solar Futures program for Opportunity Youth is continuing online, thanks to the support of the Solar States instruction team and HeatSpring – an online platform for clean energy training. The current class of 16 PowerCorpsPHL Fellows is on track to complete the advanced 680-hour solar and energy efficiency curriculum on May 9th as planned. PEA did not hold the Friday training for high school students last week and that program will reconvene when the School District reopens.

Though PEA is not responsible for utility services to Philadelphia residents, we are pleased that the Philadelphia Water Department, Philadelphia Gas Works and PECO have announced that all utility shutoffs are currently suspended. For more information, call:

  • Philadelphia Water Department: (215) 685-6300
  • Philadelphia Gas Works: (215) 235-1000
  • PECO: 1-800-494-4000

For any other questions or assistance, please email info@philaenergy.org and we will respond to you promptly.

January 8, 2020

City Council President Clarke Highlights PEA’s Work in 2020 Inaugural Address

On Monday, January 6, 2020, Philadelphia City Council, Mayor Jim Kenney and others were sworn in to begin their new terms of service.

The Philadelphia Energy Authority was proud to receive top billing in City Council President Darrell Clarke’s swearing-in remarks. He kicked off his speech by talking about the Philadelphia Energy Campaign, PEA’s marquee initiative to leverage energy as a tool for impact.

The Energy Campaign launched in 2016 with the goal of creating 10,000 high-quality jobs and spurring the investment of $1 billion in Philadelphia’s green economy by 2026.

“Four years ago, I stood on stage at our inauguration and made a number of pledges as we sought new ways to grow our city’s economy while helping more Philadelphians participate in that growth. We have made real progress – but we still have more work to do,” said Council President Clarke. “I said we would unveil a comprehensive energy strategy to help homeowners, businesses and city government increase efficiencies, reduce costs and create 10,000 new jobs over the next 10 years. Well, we are not at 10,000 jobs — yet – but I am pleased to report the work of our Philadelphia Energy Authority has led to the creation of over 1,000 jobs. We’re still on pace to reach our jobs goal and more energy-efficient projects are coming on board. More Philadelphians have installed solar systems in their homes, and over $100 million has been invested by companies and government agencies to retrofit their buildings to become more energy-efficient.”

And that’s just the beginning. The 1,000 jobs and $100 million investment statistics only reflect progress through 2018 as the 2019 full-year data is still being compiled. PEA was hard at work in 2019 and we expect the updated job and investment statistics to reflect continued success tracking toward the Energy Campaign’s ten-year goals.

Some of PEA’s early 2020 work includes:

  • Starting to accept applications for the new solar rebate, an incentive of $0.20 per watt for residential projects and $0.10 per watt for commercial projects
  • Working with commercial property owners to finance clean energy projects using C-PACE
  • Launching two new solar training programs – one at Frankford High School, and another through PowerCorpsPHL

As Council President Clarke said, the City’s “comprehensive energy strategy is saving energy, reducing utility bills and creating jobs.” We’re proud to be leaders in Philadelphia’s growing green economy.

This work would not be possible without the commitment and leadership of Council President Clarke, Mayor Kenney, other members of City Council, and countless other supporters in and outside of City government. We are grateful for their support.

October 23, 2019

PEA Launches Philadelphia C-PACE Program to Spur Commercial Solar and Energy Efficiency Market in Philadelphia

For immediate release: October 23, 2019 
Contact: Maryrose Myrtetus, mmyrtetus@philaenergy.org, 215-686-4483

Philadelphia, October 23, 2019 – Council President Darrell L. Clarke (5th District), Councilmember Derek S. Green (At Large) and the Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA) announced the launch today of Philadelphia’s Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program. C-PACE lets commercial and industrial building owners finance energy and water efficiency improvements and renewable energy installations through a special assessment similar to a property tax assessment. C-PACE will help kickstart the commercial solar market in Philadelphia and support both new construction and retrofit projects to install more energy efficient equipment.

C-PACE will help the City meet its carbon reduction goals, create jobs, and provide significant utility savings for participating buildings. The voluntary program allows property owners to access long-term financing that matches the useful life of the installed improvements generally at lower costs. Participating projects must be located within the boundaries of Philadelphia and engage in eligible energy and/or water savings projects or renewable energy projects.

“C-PACE is another example of how the Philadelphia Energy Authority works with different stakeholders to drive private investment in Philadelphia that creates the jobs of the future and opportunities for our young people, all while creating cost savings and carbon savings for the city,” Council President Clarke said. “C-PACE is good for business and good for the environment – it’s a win-win.”

“C-PACE is a game-changing initiative for our City,” said Councilmember Green. “Philadelphia now has a new financing tool to build a robust clean energy economy that will fight climate change, improve public health and well-being, and save our commercial sector money. I’m proud to have led the charge to establish this important initiative.”

PEA is the Program Administrator for Philadelphia’s C-PACE Program. It has been engaged in a yearlong statewide stakeholder process to facilitate feedback and ideas from residents, lenders, commercial property owners, other government entities and others. As Program Administrator in Philadelphia, PEA will review and approve applications, manage billing, file liens, and perform other general administrative duties.

“Philadelphia is once again showing its leadership in the green economy,” said Emily Schapira, Executive Director of PEA. “Over $1 billion in C-PACE deals have been executed nationwide, and we are proud to join our peers in enabling this important tool.”

Pennsylvania was the 36th state to authorize the creation of C-PACE financing when Governor Tom Wolf signed it into law on June 12, 2018. With the leadership of Councilmember Green, Philadelphia City Council authorized C-PACE for the City of Philadelphia on July 20, 2019 and assigned PEA as Program Administrator. The bill was signed into law by Mayor Kenney on August 14, 2019.

PEA will host a webinar on October 30, 2019, at 1pm ET to review the program guidelines. For more information on the webinar and the Philadelphia C-PACE program in general, visit cpacephiladelphia.org.

The Philadelphia Energy Authority was formed in 2010 to support the city on energy affordability and sustainability, including developing long-term energy programs and policies. Visit philaenergy.org for more information.