In February, The Philadelphia Inquirer published — in print and online — an op-ed by former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. Titled “We should support an affordable, inclusive energy transition,” the article made the case that “we must act fast on the seriousness of climate change and do so responsibly, without losing sight of the affordability
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While the federal inflation reduction act currently provides homeowners thousands of dollars of electrification incentives through tax credits, that is only one piece of a larger savings puzzle. The next biggest piece are federal rebates established under the IRA. Unlike the tax credits, which require homeowners to have enough taxable income in order to benefit,
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Sam Calisch has electrification bona fides. There’s the MIT engineering degree, the years spent in a lab tinkering with electromagnetic devices and his time on Capitol Hill as a scientist-turned-advocate, successfully campaigning for the inclusion of historic climate measures in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. So why is his new gig all about the humble
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Before you begin your journey toward electrification, you need to find out where your home is losing energy. A skilled energy auditor doesn’t just inspect — they diagnose, prioritize and recommend solutions tailored to your home’s unique needs. Selecting the right person can make all the difference. Ask these questions to help determine whether a
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The dream is to electrify everything, and to do it now. The reality is that Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) serves 500,000 households, and shifting from one energy source to another is going to take time. So for those of us who can’t yet leave gas behind, PGW has EnergySense, a program designed to help customers
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1. Make a plan! Experts say that before homeowners start installing new electric appliances, they should evaluate some fundamentals. First, is their house properly weatherized? And second, is their electrical system properly wired? After all, even an industry professional like Cora Wyent, the senior director of research at electrification nonprofit Rewiring America, can make mistakes.
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A few years ago, Cora Wyent, senior director of research at electrification nonprofit Rewiring America, and her partner were weighing the purchase of an induction oven to replace the old gas model in their kitchen. Induction ovens run off electricity and, thanks to some fascinating engineering, boast such perks as cooking elements that not only
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The year is 2050. On every street across the wide expanse of the United States, nearly every vehicle that goes by emits only the quiet whine of an electric motor. A few folks still ride by in antique, gas-powered cars, but in many places such vehicles are greatly outnumbered even by electric bikes. The houses
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In 2020, members of POWER Interfaith, a grassroots social justice organization with a mission to “shine a light on broken systems,” organized to push PECO, Pennsylvania’s largest electric and gas utility, to incorporate long-term contracts for renewable energy into its Default Service Program (DSP). The DSP is essentially the company’s “house special,” and about 75%
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Founded in 2020, Rewiring America is the nation’s leading nonprofit for helping Americans electrify their homes. Their task is a challenging one. Electrification can be a confusing endeavor, with homeowners often left on their own to figure out what to electrify first, when to do it, how to get started and what financial incentives they’re
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Several times a week, John Boyle, research director for the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, rides the power of electricity to work. A resident of Edgewater Park, New Jersey, Boyle rides a foldable e-bike to the Beverly Rail Station, which he takes aboard NJ Transit’s River Line to Camden. If the weather is nice, he’ll
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