On February 23, 2023, Philadelphia’s Department of Parks & Recreation (PPR) released the Philly Tree Plan: Growing Our Urban Forest. The product of two years of outreach and engagement that gathered input from more than 9,000 people, the plan attempts to chart a course to expand the city’s tree canopy while balancing the benefits of
MoreBiogas technology will save Philly some serious money
by Matt Jakubowski
Biogas isn’t sexy. There are no sleek silver solar panels, no turbines on a windswept hill. It’s a part of your regular routine, but we’re only beginning to tap into its explosive potential. Biogas generation, the unmentionable alternative, uses methane, a potent greenhouse gas that
Renovations of the Friends Center, the first facility in Philadelphia to get its heat from deep-standing column wells (six holes drilled between 1,000–15,000 feet into the earth’s core), are nearly two-thirds complete.
MoreLiz Robinson talks about Philly’s energy problems and a different path forward
Liz Robinson has been helping Philadelphia conserve energy since 1979. As Executive Director of the Energy Coordinating Agency, an energy nonprofit that services low-income residents, Liz has worked on the EnergyEfficiency Resource Standard, which instituted early efficiency measures for Philly’s affordable housing. She also
Fluid Needs
Make your water coolerAt first glance, the office water cooler looks innocuous, especially if you forego the dumpster-bound plastic cup and refill your (Philadelphia Phillies, 2008 World Champions) glass instead. However, there’s one key wasteful component unaccounted for: energy consumption. Yup, those heavy jugs need to be manufactured and then carted around town by
Q: [What is] your vision for residential solar power in Philadelphia’s energy future? Many Philadelphians, like me, have homes with flat roofs that receive plenty of direct sunlight. Is the city considering any programs that would help us tap into that potential power, like California’s “Million Solar Roofs” project?—Tom Schrand, Director of the Environmental Sustainability
MoreLaura Blau taught energy savings to her six year old son, Nandor, using the green cloth dragon that hangs from his bedroom door. Every night, if Nandor’s clothes are still clean, he puts them inside the dragon’s pouches and wears them the next day. Overtime, Laura does less laundry and when she does, she uses
MoreNew legislation could mean Pennsylvania is finally turning around its energy policy
by Will DeanPennsylvania has long lagged behind other parts of the country in terms of supporting alternative energy and energy conservation. Perhaps because of our massive coal resources, the Keystone State has kept its thinking about energy production firmly in the past. In 2008,
Alternative energy entrepreneur Mike McKinley talks about what solar can do for Philly
by Dana Henry
Mike Mckinley was a cognitive neuroscientist working for Pfizer in southern California when the lights went out. Utility spikes caused by the deregulations of Enron and Reliant Energy (the same will happen with PECO in 2010) had led to a series