PHILADELPHIA - On Tuesday morning, dozens of interfaith activists congregated at Philadelphia City Hall to demand that politicians stop giving PECO a pass on jobs and locally powered solar energy. At City Hall, speakers from POWER and EQAT argued that any “Green New Deal” for Philadelphia can’t get there with this PECO, which refuses to commit to increasing its use of solar energy above the current 1% requirement. Volunteers with the Power Local Green Jobs campaign say that PECO will continue failing Philadelphia unless it commits to investing in 20% local rooftop solar and the creation of thousands of local green jobs by 2025.

PHILADELPHIA - On Wednesday morning, 50 interfaith activists declared PECO Headquarters a “crime scene,” citing PECO’s contributions to the dirty air stealing health, security, and economic opportunity from Philadelphians. The majority of the electricity distributed by PECO comes from burning fossil fuels, and is a major contributor to the region’s high rates of asthma, smog days, and increasingly hotter and wetter weather.

PHILADELPHIA - On Tuesday, PECO reached a settlement on a customer rate hike. PECO originally petitioned for a controversial 3% rate increase, but after contentious hearings around the region this new settlement will hit consumers with an average 1% increase on their monthly bills. The settlement will now be reviewed before final approval by the PA Public Utilities Commission.

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Dana Robison
(610) 312-3908
[email protected]

Philadelphia, PA - Today, grandparents, teachers and community members acting with Earth Quaker Action Team unfurled a banner saying “PECO: create solar jobs now!” on the Spring Garden bridge during rush hour.

Ryan Leitner, campaign organizer with EQAT, had the following statement about the action:

Today, the PA Public Utility Commission is holding two public hearings in Philadelphia on a controversial rate hike plan filed by PECO at the end of March. The proposal would increase PECO’s revenues by $82 million per year by charging an additional $40 annually on the average customer’s electricity bill.

WASHINGTON -- Green jobs advocates frustrated with the apathy of Philadelphia’s utility PECO are taking their complaints to the big bosses. Their latest action brought them to D.C. to demand local solar electricity outside the shareholder meeting of utility giant Exelon. Exelon owns both PECO and D.C. area utility Pepco.

PHILADELPHIA -- Foot-washing before Easter might be familiar in a church, but makes an unusual sight at an energy company like PECO, where 18 interfaith congregants were arrested today. The ritual benediction led to a peaceful occupation of the entryways at PECO headquarters. The Power Local Green Jobs campaign vowed to block PECO’s dirty energy business until it begins building a clean energy grid in low-income areas.

PHILADELPHIA -- They might be young, but they know PECO isn’t transitioning to clean energy fast enough to protect their future. Ten youth members of the Power Local Green Jobs campaign were barred entry to PECO today, but they negotiated with security to deliver a letter to PECO’s incoming CEO Mike Innocenzo. With new leadership, they want the company to bring thousands of jobs by building solar energy in the most vulnerable communities, particularly where unemployment is rampant.

PHILADELPHIA -- A solemn, black-clad procession of about 60 interfaith mourners arrived at PECO headquarters today, and seven left in handcuffs. The civil disobedience included prominent Philadelphia clergy members who want to see PECO spur green solar jobs to address poverty and unemployment. PECO denies responsibility for investing in solar.

PHILADELPHIA -- On this Ash Wednesday, members of Germantown Mennonite Church decided to celebrate the annual ritual that begins Lent in a more challenging way: they visited electric utility PECO’s headquarters to pray for jobs and clean energy, and to offer Valentine's Day cards to PECO employees. Associate Pastor John Bergen explained, “Lent is a time to deepen a spiritual commitment to justice. Anyone who has missed work or school because of asthma knows that dirty energy like PECO’s fuels injustice. In our country, Black, Brown, and poor communities are far more likely to suffer from bad air and the risks of climate disasters.”