Download Testimony at City Council Hearing on the Environment

To: Philadelphia City Council, Committee on the Environment
From: Philadelphia is Ready For 100
March 22, 2017
Philadelphia City Council Hearing on the future of Philadelphia’s environment – and what we
can do about it
Good afternoon, and thank you for inviting us to testify on this important topic. I would
like to talk about solutions to climate change, specifically transitioning Philadelphia’s energy to
100% renewable energy. I represent a project called Philadelphia is Ready for 100, a
campaign out of Sierra Club’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Group. Our goal is monumental, but
direct. We believe that the City of Philadelphia is ready to move confidently to 100% renewable
energy. We’re in a good place to be doing that. This hearing about the environment and the
urgent matter of global climate change is an important first step.
The Mayor’s Office pledge of 80% carbon emissions reduction by 2050 is an excellent
commitment. Setting a long-range, ambitious target demonstrates the political will needed in
order to be successful in moving towards a renewable energy economy. We are allies in this
process and we hope to play an integral part in realizing the visions set by Greenworks in the
upcoming Energy Master Plan, especially as we face a federal administration that refuses to
acknowledge that climate change is a genuine, man-made threat to the globe.
Raising awareness and building the demand for renewable energy at the municipal level
is our current best option. Momentum is building here in the United States - of the 35 American
cities that have committed to, or are working towards 100%, 6 have already achieved it,
including Burlington, VT and Aspen, CO. Bigger cities are committing, too, like: San Diego and
Salt Lake City which have committed to 100% renewable electricity by 2035.
The City of Philadelphia can make enormous strides in energy efficiency, which would
save money for Philadelphians. In Washington, D.C., a deal with a wind farm in Pennsylvania is
expected to save district residents $45 million over the next two decades. If Pennsylvania wind
is saving money for our nation's capitol, why can't it save money for Philadelphia? The Office of
Sustainability has already initiated job growth research specific to Philadelphia. According to a
recent study, Pennsylvania as a whole could see a net increase of, on average, 14,300 jobs per
year if the state pursues renewable energy from now to 2050.
We know that there are jobs in renewable energy, no matter what the naysayers would
have us believe. But it's also important to consider renewable energy because the impacts of
climate change are going to first affect citizens relegated to the poorest neighborhoods of
Philadelphia. Philadelphia is Ready For 100 is here to tell you that we are excited to include
everyone in the fight. We’re ready to connect with local community organizations to promote
Sierra Club Southeastern Pennsylvania Group  2401 Walnut St  Philadelphia PA 19103
484-753-3581  southeastern.pasierra.org
and educate. We can network between Philadelphia and other cities that have already made the
commitment, and build coalitions with economic leaders, labor groups, and social institutions.
In summary, we recommend that Philadelphia set a target for achieving 100% renewable
electricity by 2035, that the city start working on a plan or hold hearings on how this can be
achieved, and continues to engage with stakeholders on the impacts of moving towards this
goal, and the impacts of not doing so. We have submitted in-depth testimony from our
campaign, which provides a more detailed description of the points we have just made. In
hosting this City Council hearing, our hope is that Philadelphia continues to be a national leader
for climate action.
Thank you.
Presented by Pratima Agrawal
Philadelphia is Ready For 100 Team:
Kristin El Idrissi - Proj Mgr
[email protected]
Pratima Agrawal- PR, Cncl
Liaison
[email protected]
Tenara Calem - Research,
Events
[email protected]
Nicholas Beale - Tech Adv
[email protected]
David Moscatello - Tech Adv
[email protected]
Sue Edwards - Outreach, Events
[email protected]
Charles Isaacs
Philadelphia Program
Coordinator
Sierra Club PA Chapter
[email protected]
Sgt Gerald Brown - Outreach
[email protected]
Jim Wylie
Sierra Club, Southeastern PA
Group, Chair
[email protected]
Sierra Club Southeastern Pennsylvania Group  2401 Walnut St  Philadelphia PA 19103
484-753-3581  southeastern.pasierra.org