Local Communities Commit to Green
The Delaware Valley has a lot to be proud of with many local municipalities making changes towards sustainable energy solutions.
Abington Township is planning an energy audit. The PA Department of Energy awarded $36 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support energy efficiency and conservation projects in Pennsylvania communities. Abington Township is slotted to receive over $500,000 which they plan to use for an extensive energy audit to determine the most imp active sustainable improvements. Abington already does a great job with its strong recycling and compost programs that divert 57% of township waste from landfills.
Cheltenham Township also received some of the federal grant money in which they plan to invest in efficient mechanical and lighting systems at the municipal buildings. Cheltenham is considering a Transition Town designation also.
Delaware County was awarded nearly $3.7 million to complete several projects that will improve energy efficiency and expand renewable energy use in the county. Among its projects, the county plans to install a photovoltaic solar power generation system at the Government Center Complex in Media, PA. This system will decrease the burden on the local utility and is intended to be a model project, spurring regional interest in alternative energy. Once implemented, it will be the largest public solar energy project in the area. Recovery Act funding will also be used to establish a grant program for municipalities within Delaware County that have requested assistance for energy efficiency projects.
Media became the first Transition Town (TT) in Pennsylvania. In Media, a Transition Towns designation means that scores of conscientious citizens who live in and around the borough have committed themselves to trying to meet more of their needs locally so that they use fewer resources, especially oil and other carboniferous sources of energy. Besides its active and influential Environmental Advisory Council, the borough was cited by the Sustainable Development Fund for committing to buy at least 20 percent of its energy from clean and alternative sources by this year and encouraging at least 7 percent of residents to do the same. Several other communities in the region are considering TT status. To learn more about the Transition Town program, visit http://transitionus.org/
There are many local groups in the Delaware Valley working to create more sustainable communities. Does your municipality have an Environmental Advisory Council? Act 177 of 1996 authorized municipalities to establish these councils which are comprised of a group of residents appointed by local elected officials that advise on protection and conservation. For more information on EAC’s visit http://eacnetwork.wordpress.com/.
If your local does not have an EAC, perhaps there is another group working to promote sustainability in your area. Groups like Wissahickon Growing Greener in the Whitpain/Blue Bell area, Sustainable Springfield, GreenPV (Perkiomen Valley) organized in the Collegeville/Limerick/Schwenksville area, Penn Wynne Green on the Main Line all provide great local resources to help citizens create greener communities.
There are also organizations for businesses like the Sustainable Business Network of Philadelphia.
Congratulations to the Delaware Valley for making energy efficiency and sustainability a priority. If I missed any group, please comment to let everyone know of them.
