Have you been holding off on switching to renewable energy because of the costs? The time for affordable clean, renewable energy has arrived!
One of the best ways to fight climate change is to reduce our carbon footprint. CO2 and other greenhouse gases (GHG) in our atmosphere are the result of industrialization. It takes a lot of energy to run the US economy in 2023. Converting from fossil fuel (like oil and gas) for our electricity to renewable sources like wind, solar and hydro-electric eliminates massive amounts of GHGs from Earth’s atmosphere.
Electric vehicles, bike riding, using mass transportation and buying local are all excellent ways that we can reduce the amount of GHG release we are individually responsible for. It’s likely that the biggest climate change contribution you can make individually is to switch your home’s electricity and gas to renewable energy. At CoolBlock.org, they estimate that switching to renewable energy will reduce your household C02 demand by 5,000 lbs!
If you think that paying for renewable electricity is going to cost 50% or 100% more than your standard electric service, you would be wrong. There are many clean energy providers available. I was drawn to The Energy Coop out of Philadelphia because of its members-as-owners structure.
When I first signed up with The Energy Coop, the price of my clean electricity WAS nearly 50% more than the PECO price. There was no denying that my monthly bill was noticeably higher. That is a thing of the past. The price of renewable energy from my provider has continuously dropped over the past 18 months. Capacity for renewables has grown to 27% of all US Generating Capacity by the end of 2022, up from 24% the previous year.
The following link will allow you to search through all options available to PA households:
For rates that seem too good to be true, check to see if they are an “introductory” (teaser) rate which expires after a few months or even after the first year.
As I write this (Aug, 2023), my price to buy 100% renewable electricity from The Energy Coop is $.10490 per KWH (Kilowatt Hour). The same monthly cost of electricity from PECO, the sole electric service distributor in my area, is $.10312 per KWH. This is a difference of 0.178 pennies per KWH. In July, the hottest month on record, the difference in my bill from the Energy Coop vs PECO was $11.04. In August, if I have the same energy use, the price difference will be $2.90.
NOTE: This is not a paid endorsement of any specific company. I am simply sharing my experience with the Energy Coop. Other renewable plans are available at PA Power Switch.
Some are less expensive than the Energy Coop. My plan is a variable plan (i.e. price changes monthly) with a slightly better rate compared to a fix rate plan.
Media Borough residents may soon have the option for buying renewable energy through a program called Community Choice Aggregation. The Borough has signed a Memo of Understanding to join this program, but the availability date is unclear. Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) is available for any Borough in PA (sorry, not the townships or cities).
If you live in a Borough other than Media, talk to your Borough Council about getting CCA for your community.
Want to know the CO2 specifics for your household? Check out this Carbon Footprint calculator, which also shows you how to reduce your carbon footprint by making day to day adjustments.
Switching to renewable energy is suddenly an easy action you can take to make a big, positive difference for climate change.
I would like to add 2 important choices for also reducing your carbon footprint of your home – both by going solar. The federal tax rebate for installing solar panels was just increased from 26% to 30% and now includes a new roof if you need that. Solar panel efficiencies have been increasing while getting more affordable. The other is Community Solar. This is a great choice for those that can’t install their own solar array. Smaller (local) solar farms are built in your area and then anyone with an electric bill can purchase their energy from them – at a significant discount over the utility. Note that third party energy providers like the Energy Co-op often buy your electricity from wind farms in Texas and Washington state where it is cheapest. Pilot Community Solar programs in NJ and MD just became permanent but it is not yet legal in PA. Right now there is a very good PA House bill (HB 1467) that needs support. Not only will it allow Community Solar, but it will require the state to up it’s renewable energy portfolio from 8% to 30%. Please go to https://secure.everyaction.com/IG5lzyxVdk-S9vnNMeCBHA2?contactdata=4WrLf8VowAVx3UJMbdFzbZ+sMN%2fD2Zj8Z4NuvC1PSDECTlvvj9CAm+zCwhts7GfO+M15UytDwC7MMtij5viiTdqqfX98eNS%2fu9RZvvquths8v36R6NxvpyOPD1PzAW5kHBUMpq%2frqEPoX1WGxdxGOEaGDOJreUKTjFsgcRj+NH4%3d&emci=13048fb8-743b-ee11-a3f1-00224832eb73&emdi=23a96c05-1541-ee11-a3f1-00224832eb73&ceid=14236123 to send a message to your state rep now! (If this is pre-filled with my info, hopefully you can modify it.
For the uber wonks amongst us, one can visit the below websites and, in near real time, research the marginal carbon content of the regional electricity generation immediately and predicted over the next hour or so.
You will see a VERY accurate presentation of the power generation mix by energy type.
Try it out
Charge your EV and other readily scheduled energy use between say midnight and 6 AM
Minimize energy use during predicted daily regional energy peaks, which are generally when the dirtiest and least profitable plants are generating
pjm.com/markets-and-operations
app.electricitymaps.com/map
http://www.watttime.org/
There are several renewable suppliers on the PUC web that are from 20 to 30% lower than the PECo default rate that changes every three months. They do offer fixed rates and the coop is now offering a fixed rate option. The new PECo rate normally comes out almost a month ahead of the change
There is also what they call a standard option that is 7% less than the default rate good for a year that you can cancel at any time. There were renewal suppliers last time I checked.
The cleanest energy is what you don’t use and there are still too many fluorescent lamps out there that have yet to be replaced with LED. The PECo rebate pays for the cost of the light. Even Chester and the Chester Upland school did it with their staff