Philadelphia launches regional collaborative to tackle climate change, recycling, renewable energy

When Philadelphia officials announced an agreement one year ago to purchase nearly a fifth of municipal electricity from a solar farm, they began fielding calls from curious businesses, universities and others: How can we get in on that? The goal is for the collaborative to serve as a way for local leaders, businesses, nonprofits, colleges, and institutions to coordinate efforts to tackle climate change, purchase renewable energy, and address the current recycling crisis. Organizers expected about 20 sign-ups by launch. Instead, they got 39 business and community leaders to commit to addressing climate change as a group, according to Christine Knapp, director of the city’s Office of Sustainability. More sign-ups are expected. Knapp’s office helped initiate the city deal to buy its power from a large-scale solar farm to be built in Adams County. Construction has not started yet, but the farm is expected to generate 22% of the electricity used in city-owned buildings by 2020. The Radnor-based Community Energy Solar is developing the 70-megawatt solar farm not far from Gettysburg.