Switch to wind power and get a free ticket to Philly Farm & Food Fest

Here at Grid, we’re getting psyched for what’s become one of our favorite local food events: 2nd Annual Philly Farm & Food Fest. The celebration of all things delicious and sustainable, PF3 is happening in nearly three weeks on Sunday, April 14. Hosted by PASA and Fair Food, PF3 is also being offset with 100 percent local wind power credits provided by Clean Currents, one the region’s largest green energy providers.

Want to follow PF3’s clean energy example and, better yet, get a free ticket? If you sign up to power your home with 100 percent local wind energy between now and April 12th, Clean Currents will buy your ticket to PF3. As the region’s only certified B Corporation green energy provider, becoming a Clean Currents customer helps your community and planet.

To learn more about the farms, food producers and businesses that will be at PF3, check out the exclusive event guide featured in last month’s Grid. For more information and tickets, visit here. Information on rates and fees for Clean Currents can be found here.

And be sure to look for more special coverage on our blog as we count down the days to PF3!

Boundless Energy: Equipped with its own grid, the Navy Yard has a unique energy plan

story by Alon AbramsonDespite its remote location just beyond the sprawling stadium parking lots at the south terminus of Broad Street, the Philadelphia Navy Yard’s steady development is hard to ignore. In fact, the campus, which has been managed by the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) since the Navy transferred about 1,000 acres to the City in 2000, just celebrated a major milestone of 10,000 employees — an employment level greater than at the height of Navy operations on the site. Amid celebrations of the Navy Yard’s resurgence and the release of an updated Master Plan, another type of planning has been taking place with little fanfare.

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Gone with the Wind: PECO Wind is defunct, but you can still buy local, renewable energy

story by Liz PachecoSince 2004, the PECO Wind program has allowed customers to purchase renewable electricity that supported wind projects in Pennsylvania. But as of December 31, the PECO Wind program ended, leaving 20,000 customers without service.

The good news for these 20,000 customers--as well as anyone interested in buying renewables--is that there are plenty of affordable options. Be careful though, not all alternative energy programs are created equal. Just because a utility company operates locally doesn't mean their electricity suppliers are local. It's not uncommon for wind and solar energy to come from outside the state, even the other side of the country.

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Winds of Change: Peco cancels wind program, customers must look locally for renewables

Image via paenergy.orgHere at Grid, we’re always encouraging readers to buy local, renewable energy. So, we were excited to see that since 2004, Peco has been among the 20 utility companies in the Northeast to offer such an option. Their Peco Wind program allows customers to purchase some or all of their electric supply as renewable energy credits that support new and current wind projects in Pennsylvania.

However, after December 31, Peco Wind will be canceled. “The program was created before there was residential consumer choice and the rate caps were off to support wind,” explains Courtney Lane, senior energy policy analyst for PennFuture. With the rate caps now off, the market is filled with competitive suppliers and Peco’s program isn’t the most affordable anymore.

So, why do you need to know about this? Well, what’s important for the 20,000 customers currently enrolled in Peco Wind—and anyone else interested in buying renewables—is to recognize that not all alternative energy programs are created equal. Just because a utility company operates locally, doesn’t mean their electricity suppliers are local too. It’s not uncommon for your wind and solar energy to come from outside the state, and possibly from the other side of the country.

To make sure you’re supporting Pennsylvania renewables, check out PennFuture’s Energy Center. There you can find out how to buy clean, renewable energy and browse a list of green energy suppliers in Pennsylvania. Another helpful resource is our energy column from the July 2012 issue that discusses buying local, green energy from Community Energy and the Energy Co-op. 

Fossil Fools: Bill McKibben crunches the numbers and names an enemy

story by Liz PachecoWhen Bill McKibben published The End of Nature in 1989, it was the first book aimed at educating the general public on climate change. Since then, McKibben has given lectures, written books, penned articles and led countless campaigns to raise awareness and inspire action on climate change—this includes a five-day walk he led in 2007 across Vermont. In November, McKibben will take his message on the road with 350.org, his international grassroots climate campaign. The “Do the Math” tour—a name taken from the frightening warming calculations McKibben presents in the August 2, 2012 Rolling Stone—will be making 20 stops in 20 days in an effort to jumpstart the climate movement. We caught up with McKibben to discuss the tour and it’s goals.

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