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Local Government

Local governments can influence the energy-related choices that the community makes by:

  • Leading by example;

  • Educating constituents about options and the impacts of energy choices;

  • Incentivizing preferred choices;

  • Planning for a low-carbon future with vision, goals and timelined actions;

  • Requiring new construction consistent with the community's goals;

  • Providing enabling infrastructure that promotes a low-carbon electric community;

  • Being sensitive to any short term financial impacts this transition might create.​​

This page provides resources for local governments to continue their role as climate action leaders.

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Federal Funding

Federal grant opportunities that we know are still active

PA Programs

Pennsylvania programs that support local government climate action

County Programs

Programs in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. Also resources from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC)

Plans

Climate Action and Energy Transition Plans - examples, templates, training and tech assistance

Enabling Policy

Examples of ordinances that promote low-carbon choices in the community

Community Education

Resources to help local governments share reliable information about energy, transportation, lighting, heating and expected impacts

On The Horizon

A few things that other states have done and might be available to us in Pennsylvania in the future

EACs

Environmental Advisory Committees (EACs) are often tasked with recommending actions for the municipal government and community engagement

Capitol Building

Federal Funding

Federal funding is available for retrofits or new construction. Heat pump HVAC, Smart Thermostats, occupied sensor lighting, on-site/rooftop solar, energy audits.

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Visit the Tax Exempt page for Building Upgrade funding.

 

Elective-Pay is available for weatherization, energy efficiency upgrades, HVAC upgrades, solar installations, the purchase of electric vehicles, etc. to entities that do not pay taxes. [Jan 29 - this program appears to be active]

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Federal funding is available for municipal vehicles, police, fire, snow removal, yard or street vehicles, trash. EV charging stations and infrastructure. â€‹The following grant is available to municipalities that have 3 or more class 6 or 7 trucks:

EPA’s Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicle grant - CLOSED, sorry

Image by Andre Frueh

Pennsylvania Programs

The following resources and programs are available from the PA Department of Environmental Protection:

Experts Panel
Binder and Files
Plan Development Assistance

Climate Action & Energy Transition Plans

Many municipalities have developed a Climate Action Plan (CAP) or Energy Transition Plan (ETP) for their communities. Often this responsibility is given to an Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) or a professional planner is contracted or college students are engaged as part of the Local Climate Action Plan (LCAP) program run by the PA DEP.

 

This section is designed to share examples, templates, training session recordings so that your community doesn't need to start at ground-zero for this climate or energy planning project.

Plan Examples

PACleanEnergy.com hosts a wiki of Climate and Energy Action Plans across PA. Below is a snapshot.

Plan Templates
Image by Ernest Ojeh

Enabling Policy

Very few township or borough elected officials are interested in mandating climate actions, but influencing buying decisions can take place through enabling policies and projects. Like helping to make EV charging more accessible, or reducing the permitting costs and timelines for on-site solar projects, or requesting that new construction consider future owners that want to install EV chargers or rooftop solar or passive solar aspects.

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Here is a growing list of examples in southeast PA and nearby.

Policy Examples

PACleanEnergy.com hosts a wiki of Enabling Polies across PA. Below is a snapshot.

Image by NOAA

Community Education

Here are some resources for community education about the impacts of climate change, clean energy, electrification, building energy efficiency and similar topics.

Impacts of Climate Change

What is Climate Change? - PA DEP - How is climate change affecting the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and what can we do about it? Story Map

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​Adapting to Extreme Heat in Philadelphia - UPenn

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Climate Change Impacts Assessment- PA - DEP​

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Community Climate Outlook for Chester County, PA - Penn State

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Climate Action Plan Metrics Show Greenhouse Gas Reductions - Chester County Planning​

Clean Energy and Electrification

A Stakeholders Guide to Electrification - US Dep of Energy

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​100% Clean Electricity by 2035 Study - National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL)

Building Efficiency

LEED Case Study - City of Philadelphia - USGBC

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Why Efficiency Matters - US Dep of Energy - Homes and commercial buildings consume 40% of the energy used in the United States. Of the $2,000 the average American spends paying for energy annually, $200 to $400 could be going to waste from drafts, air leaks around openings, and outdated heating and cooling systems.

Image by Karsten Würth

On The Horizon

Our neighboring states have some clean energy tools available that Pennsylvania does not yet have. Don't wait for these programs - please take action in other ways. But it can be helpful to introduce some of this terminology to PA residents.

Community Solar

With community solar, you can purchase or lease a “share” in a community solar project or start a project with your neighbors. Every month, you receive a credit on your electricity bill for the energy produced by your share. Here are some resources:

Community Choice Aggregation

Community Choice Aggregation allows local governments and some special districts to pool (or aggregate) their electricity load in order to purchase and/or develop power on behalf of the residents, businesses, and municipal accounts within their service territory. Here are some resources:

Solar for All

The Solar for All program is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s $7 billion Solar for All initiative under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which aims to deliver distributed solar benefits to low-income communities across all 50 states. Philadelphia Green Capital Corp (PGCC) will manage the program to provide residential solar technology, energy storage, and home upgrades to disadvantaged households, prioritizing substantial energy savings, resilience, and workforce development to benefit low-to-moderate-income households in Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware counties.

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Solar for All in greater Philadelphia area is expected to come online in the first half of 2025. Local governments can help spread the word and connect appropriate stakeholders with this program.

Image by Daniele La Rosa Messina

Support for EACs

Environmental Advisory Committees (EACs) are often tasked with recommending actions for the municipal government and community engagement. This page is a significant resource for EAC members, but there is more available.

Invite a CACE or Ready For 100 Volunteer 

Our volunteers have experience speaking at EAC meetings or board meetings. Many of us serve on our own EAC committees or have been elected officials. Invite us to attend an upcoming meeting to set the stage for what it means for a municipality to set goals, develop an action plan and take specific actions that lead our communities to a low-carbon future. And answer your questions. We can adapt to meet the time available on your agenda.

Get Expert Help

Our volunteers to suggest a place to start with developing a Climate Action Plan (CAP), give feedback on your draft or help with updating an existing plan with latest best practices.

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We can also "run the numbers" on a proposed project, review a vendors proposal or connect you with other municipalities that have started a similar project.

Positive Press

Here are some examples of press clippings that have resulted from local governments taking the lead on climate action.

​Chester County Eco Friendly Design

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Reading a Newspaper

Sign Up to Stay Informed

Contacts on the CACE team, Robin Mann, Shawn Smolsky

contactphillyca@gmail.com

©2023 by Community Advocates for Clean Energy of Greater Philadelphia. Proudly created with Wix.com

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