Philadelphia

As Philadelphia works to tackle climate change, a question emerges: Is PGW on board?

With attempts to electrify grids in a sustainable way, many oil and gas furnaces will inevitably be shut down by 2025. The foregoing is a threat for energy supplies for utilities such as PGW, among utilities that opposed updated and thorough building code implementation. The call to transition...Read more

COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program Phase 4 Flyer

This flyer contains information on Phase 4 of Philadelphia's rental assistance program, which provides relief to tenants facing financial hardships due to COVID-19. Funding was authorized by the federal government, and Philadelphia has about $97 million to spend on rental assistance and utility...Read more

Philadelphia Water Department Proposal Settlement Term Sheet

This artifact is the settlement agreement that PWD and Public Advocate reached, which is awaiting review by the Philadelphia Water Rate Board, which is the independent review board which sets PWD's rates. Along with lowering the proposed rate increase (to 10.2% for residential customers), the...Read more

Utilities disconnect 116,000 Pa. households after state lifts moratorium on pandemic shutoffs

Pennsylvania utilities have cut off service to 116,000 customers for nonpayment since the state lifted a moratorium on shutoffs on April 1 after a ...Read more

PGW Diversification Study - Draft Materials April 2021

This presentation was created by Philadelphia's Office of Sustainability in partnership with Econsult for public consumption regarding the PGW Business Diversification study. 

The purpose of this study is to address the issue of decarbonizing PGW (the largest pubically owned gas utility in...Read more

3 people, 200 square miles, Managing homelessness, remote school, and life in a pandemic , and a life in a pandemic

Many of the artifacts I have posted here have revolved around the digital divide in a purely academic sense, and while this article touches on that subject, it also goes deeper and explores the social ramifications of the digital divide. 

It is psuedo-ethnographic in the way that it...Read more

Philadelphia’s latest rental and utility assistance program is now open for tenants and landlords

This article states that Philadelphia's rental assistance program now includes funds for renters' utility payments, up to $2,000 each for water, electric, and gas. This is in addition to the $2,000 monthly for rent payments. This is made possible because of the $97 million in federal funds...Read more

Philly is ready to start fighting climate change again

As President-Elect Biden stated, there is a pontential for the US to re-enter the Paris Agreement for climate change goals to be achieved by 2050. Philadelphia had continued to follow the climate provisions thanks to Mayor Kenney's commitment even despite President Trump's withdrawal from the...Read more

PECO has millions available to help with energy bills, but says few eligible customers are applying for assistance

PECO received $270 million in federal and state funding through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, money that can be used to help people who can't pay their bills due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only a limited number of customers have enrolled, and to date only $500,000 of that money...Read more

Philly is trying to bridge vaccine gaps by targeting hard-hit neighborhoods. Finally, activists and experts say.

This article discusses the digital divide and how a vaccination have proven to increase it even more than the pandemic already has. It opens with by discussing Jeff Harris, 65, and how he was registered after a group of activists went door to door registering people. Harris explained that not...Read more

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