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A Failure of Leadership at PGW

Philadelphia Gas Works offices on Broad Street in South Philadelphia. Credit: Danya Henninger, Billy Penn

The City of Philadelphia has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. At the same time, the City owns PGW, which accounts for nearly a quarter of Philadelphia’s carbon emissions. Recognizing the conflict between Philadelphia’s climate goals and PGW’s business model, the City’s Office of Sustainability worked with PGW on a Business Diversification Study, which investigated pathways for PGW to transition away from distributing fossil gas.

It’s important to recognize that planning a just transition for PGW that protects workers, ratepayers, and the climate is an enormous challenge. Nevertheless, the Study, which was released in December 2021, was a major disappointment. The Study fundamentally failed to confront the scale of change that will be required by PGW. For example, it essentially took for granted that PGW will continue to spend $90 million per year replacing old gas distribution pipes from now through 2058, long after we must stop burning fossil gas for heat. Read more here.

By Stephen Ballentine, Staff Attorney

TAuch_Infrastructure-Cracker_Plant_Construction-Shell-PA_Be.jpg

A “Good Neighbor” Wishlist for Shell

By late 2022 or early 2023, Shell’s Beaver County ethane cracker plant will be turning fracked gas into 1.6 million metric tons of plastic pellets per year. The Council is now calling on Shell to live up to its claim of being a “good neighbor” by doing more to protect residents and the environment from pollution than what is legally required.

By Terrie Baumgardner, Outreach Coordinator and Beaver County Resident

Clean Air Council’s Attorneys Defend Pennsylvania’s Move To Link With The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative At A Recent Hearing

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a win-win-win for the public and a big step to fighting the climate crisis. But, unsurprisingly, the coal industry and a group of politicians in Harrisburg have gone to court to block Pennsylvania from moving forward with RGGI.

By Alex Bomstein, Director of Litigation

Avoiding Economic Displacement during Greening in Philadelphia

There is a theory among some planners that low income neighborhoods should limit their greening in order to prevent gentrification. That is not acceptable, it is not fair and simply ignores past racism. The City of Philadelphia has an obligation to protect local residents from the gentrification that often accompanies infrastructure investments in parks and trails.

By Russell Zerbo, Advocate

The Protective Buffers Campaign

Council Advocacy Coordinator Lois Bower-Bjornson discusses what it’s like to live among oil and gas infrastructure and how the Protective Buffers campaign aims to protect Pennsylvania communities and the environment. Shale gas and petrochemical infrastructure has been harming the health of Pennsylvania residents for years. Simply put, these industrial projects are being built far too close to where people live, work, and gather. It’s past time for the state to update its outdated laws and protect our health with greater protective buffer distances. Listen and Learn.

Victory in South Philly Against Proposed LNG Facility

In March of 2019, despite opposition from Clean Air Council and other organizations, Philadelphia City Council voted in favor of a privately financed, polluting liquified natural gas (LNG) facility in South Philadelphia. Thankfully the Council's advocacy efforts paid off this year and the project, a proposed joint venture with Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) and Liberty Energy, will not be pursued, which was confirmed in April 2022. This project would have further polluted a community victimized by environmental injustice and its abandonment is a victory for public health and a great step toward Philadelphia’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

Opposition to the proposed liquefied natural gas plant in Philadelphia protest in city council chambers in 2019. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

Opposition to the proposed liquefied natural gas plant in Philadelphia protest in city council chambers in 2019. Credit: Kimberly Paynter / WHYY

Become a member and help us secure more environmental victories

Meet One of the Council's New Staff

Interview with Susan Volz, Advocacy Coordinator

"The [oil and gas] industry relies on information being hard to access or too technical to understand. I’m able (and like it as a policy nerd!) to get into the weeds on a policy level and demystify the process and present information in a more accessible way for broader audiences."

The Council is excited to announce the launch of our sister organization, the 501(c)(4) Clean Air Action Fund. This new organization is designed to address a major problem: Pennsylvania’s elected officials hear too much from fossil fuel lobbyists and not enough from environmental advocates and the countless environmentalists throughout the Commonwealth.

As a 501(c)(4) group, Clean Air Action Fund is legally permitted to engage in a broader range of activities than Clean Air Council, including electoral work and increased lobbying activities. The Action Fund will use those tools to push climate action and environmental protection to the top of the political agenda in Harrisburg and beyond. For more information about the Action Funds work, go to CleanAirActionFund.org.