The Phoenixville Green Team is a founding member of Phoenixville Area Clean Energy Alliance (PACEA) and leads the effort by non-profit stakeholders to pursue the transition to 100% renewables in the Phoenixville area.
Phoenixville Area Clean Energy Alliance PACEA Vision and Purpose
Introduction
On June 7th, 2020, representatives from the six Phoenixville Area Regional Planning Committee (PRPC) municipalities and the Phoenixville Green Team created an informal group titled the Phoenixville Area Clean Energy Alliance (PACEA). The mission of this working group is to inform and advance the clean energy agenda of the townships, with the primary goal of implementing a Clean Energy Transition Plan (CETP) to reduce greenhouse gases. The plan we are seeking to adopt is based on the Sierra Club’s Energy Transition Plan template. This template was developed by local volunteers and energy professionals through an extensive research of adopted local and state plans.
PACEA was awarded a Chester County Vision Partnership Plan (VPP) grant in April 2021. The grant will evaluate current energy use and produce plans to reduce consumption of fossil fuels, through efficiency improvements and use of renewable energy. It will set clean energy goals for the four participating townships and conduct comprehensive community engagement to educate and motivate other townships across the county and region.
Vision
The Alliance members envision a regional, whole-community effort to transition to clean energy that engages all sectors of the community including local governments, school districts, non-profits, businesses and residents. Work has already begun to implement projects including Renewable Energy PPAs, electric vehicle infrastructure, building benchmarking, and opportunities to create incentives for builders to shift from fossil-fuel power appliances to electric appliances in new construction and building upgrades. PACEA’s current focus is securing grant funding from the Chester County Planning Commission to support the development of a CETP for each municipality including actions and projects common to all Alliance members.
Purpose
PACEA’s purpose is to create a clear course of action so that everyone has a role in creating and achieving climate and sustainability goals through the development of a Clean Energy Transition Plan to drive and coordinate local efforts toward renewable energy and significant reductions in GHG emissions.
Governance
The Alliance is a distributed campaign, working to support community volunteers and local leaders who work in their own township, city or borough pursuing equity through transition to 100% clean renewable energy. Local government leadership is essential. The core members of the Alliance are the six (6) municipalities who participate in the Phoenixville Regional Planning Committee (PRPC).
Membership
The intent of membership is to build stakeholder communities that include everyone willing to stand up and commit to working on the vision of 100% renewable energy. The following Stakeholder roles have been suggested to allow everyone to identify how they can contribute to the work of the Alliance.
| Alliance Roles | |
| Interested / Receptive / You! | |
| Advocate | Non-Profit Board Member |
| Board of Trustees Member | Planning Commission Member |
| Business Owner | Private School Staff |
| EAC Member | Public School Staff |
| Elected Official | Parent |
| Municipal Staff | Teacher / Student |
Clean Energy Transition Plan (CETP) Awarded
On April 14, 2021, the Chester County Planning Commission awarded a Vision Partnership Program (VPP) grant to East Pikeland, Schuylkill, West Pikeland, and West Vincent Townships for development of a Clean Energy Transition Plan (CETP). The VPP grant program promotes cooperation between the county and local governments in the implementation of Landscapes3 , Chester County’s comprehensive policy plan.
The goal of reducing pollution and regional greenhouse gas emissions starts with a CETP to evaluate current energy use and create a roadmap to transition to predominantly renewable energy by 2050. This will be an evolving plan that will continue to be revised based on advances in renewable energy technologies, progress, priorities, and regional changes. Energy transition planning is already under way in communities across the region, primarily led by volunteers, laying the groundwork for full transition plans. This grant will enable the participating communities to contract the assistance of energy and community engagement consultants to create a roadmap into the future consistent with the county’s recently released Climate Action Plan and the Phoenixville Regional Planning Commission (PRPC) comprehensive plan.
The energy plan will start with municipal operations, maximizing energy efficiency and exploring on-site renewable energy production technologies with consideration to return on investment and preservation of the character and natural beauty of thetoawnships. Additionally, the project will develop an outreach and education plan that engages large energy users and the general public. Municipal teams will encourage and assist their communities with energy conservation and transition, providing avenues for involvement, informed decision-making, and feedback and inquiries from the community.
The four participating townships are part of the Phoenixville Area Clean Energy Alliance (PACEA) which also includes Charlestown Township and Phoenixville Borough. While this grant serves to directly advance the clean energy goals of the four participating townships, the energy and community engagement plans will serve as models to assist other townships’ efforts across the county and region.