Awards Luncheon Honors Clean Energy Purchasers

     For the fifth year in a row, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture) honored businesses, public interest organizations, governmental entities, and faith-based groups for their leadership in choosing clean, renewable energy for their organizations. Held at the Ritz-Carlton on October 14 and emceed by PennFuture President John Hanger and PennFuture Board Member David Lane, the luncheon featured Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Kathleen McGinty as the keynote speaker.

     Secretary McGinty was excited to announce that the Commonwealth recently doubled its green electricity purchase to ten percent from five percent, thus supporting the renewable energy industry, creating jobs, improving the environment and supporting home-grown energy. Best of all, the purchases came in $163,693 below budget!

 This year’s award recipients include:

·        NativeEnergy and PECO Wind, for their new Pennsylvania-based renewable products of farm methane and wind, respectively;

·        Delaware County in Pennsylvania for its 25 percent wind purchase (496,808 kwh), and Montgomery County in Maryland for its 5 percent wind purchase (38 million kwh);

·        Norris Square Solar Project, which created an eight home solar installation project for low-income families in Philadelphia;

·        Market Square Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg for its 10 percent wind purchase;

·        Eastern University for the largest wind purchase of any Pennsylvania college – 37 percent;

·        The Energy Cooperative, for innovation in making clean energy affordable for homes, municipalities, and businesses with its “Wind Break-Even” and “Solar Buy Back” Programs;

·        Chestnut Hill Monthly Meeting, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and Medical Mission Sisters for their 100 percent renewable energy purchases;

·        DiPinto Guitars and Yikes, Inc. for their 100 percent commitment to clean energy.

Congrats to all of the award winners for showing leadership in their communities. If you have a nomination for next year’s luncheon, please contact Lisa Leighton at 215-545-9692.

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