PHILADELPHIA – The City of Philadelphia has been awarded $1,316,810 in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Energy, through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program, to support four projects that will expand access to energy education, build resilience to heat in vulnerable communities, scale the local clean energy workforce and support efforts to decarbonize School District of Philadelphia buildings.
The EECBG Program provides federal funding and technical assistance to local governments, states, and Tribes pursuing projects that improve energy efficiency, reduce energy use and lower fossil fuel emissions. Philadelphia’s grant award is made possible under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which delivered $550 million to the EECBG Program.
The EECBG award will fund the following projects in Philadelphia:
Energy Burdened Community Education
The Office of Sustainability (OOS), in partnership with the Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA) and citywide Neighborhood Energy Centers, will scale up educational programming about energy efficiency and conservation in historically marginalized and vulnerable communities that experience high levels of energy burden. ECA will also launch and operate an electric Mobile Energy Center to improve access to energy resources among working families and underserved constituencies, including elderly and mobility-constrained residents.
Cool Roofs Program
As climate change leads to rising heat in Philadelphia, this project will investigate how cool roofs can improve energy conservation in homes and improve heat resilience in neighborhoods. Through research and stakeholder engagement, OOS will develop recommendations for establishing a long-term Cool Roofs Program at the City and examine gaps in the existing Cool Roofs Policy. OOS will also partner with ECA to pilot neighborhood-scale application of cool roof coatings in a selected heat vulnerable community, to inform the community component of a Cool Roofs Program.
Clean Energy Workforce Development Strategy
Philadelphia’s buildings contribute approximately 70 percent of citywide greenhouse gas emissions, and the movement to lower the city’s carbon footprint and transition to a clean energy future is creating opportunities for good-paying clean energy jobs. The Office of Sustainability will develop a comprehensive strategy and implementation roadmap for Philadelphia to scale the local clean energy workforce to meet the scope and scale of our building decarbonization goals.
Energy Conservation and Management in Schools
The School District of Philadelphia (SDP) will receive support with managing its energy portfolio and utility data for more than 200 buildings and identifying opportunities to make energy efficiency improvements. The District will also receive support with procuring energy, including renewables, to align with the City’s goal of using 100 percent renewable electricity.
“As we look for every opportunity to make Philadelphia a safer, cleaner, and greener city with economic opportunity for all, we are excited to deploy this federal funding from the Biden-Harris Administration on projects that advance Mayor Parker’s clean and green agenda,” said Sinceré Harris, Chief Deputy Mayor, Intergovernmental Affairs, Sustainability, and Engagement. “These projects align with the mayor’s priorities, including tackling urban heat islands, supporting healthy, safe and thriving communities by improving housing, helping students excel at school and creating quality jobs.”
“As the clean energy transition gains momentum, our office is exploring what it takes to build a robust, sustained clean energy workforce that creates wealth opportunities for Philadelphians,” said Elizabeth Lankenau, Interim Director, Office of Sustainability. “With the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, we will cement key partnerships with the School District of Philadelphia and the Energy Coordinating Agency to advance energy efficiency projects in municipal buildings, public schools and across our neighborhoods.”
About the City’s Office of Sustainability
The Office of Sustainability (OOS) works with partners around the city to improve quality of life in all Philadelphia neighborhoods, through advancing environmental justice, reducing the city’s carbon emissions, and preparing Philadelphia for a hotter and wetter future. The Municipal Energy Office, housed within OOS, is responsible for managing the municipal energy portfolio and its contribution towards carbon reductions. For more information, visit phila.gov/sustainability.