Hyped about faster, cleaner transportation. The first Hyperloop transit route in the U.S. will span from Pittsburgh to Chicago, and its development is quickly progressing. Consultants will soon begin environmental impact and feasibility studies, following this past year of testing in Las Vegas. The transit system is vacuum based with some propulsion, and the projected air and noise pollution is less than […]
Good news for the environment and the economy. Pennsylvania employs 86,000 clean energy workers, with clean energy jobs becoming more plentiful in all areas of the state. Allegheny County is topping the state with nearly 12,000 of those jobs. The majority of the clean energy jobs in PA are in energy efficiency, but with many in renewable energy (especially solar) as well. And those workers are making household-sustaining […]
PAT is revving up cleaner buses. Port Authority is planning to bring its first electric buses to the fleet: 2 buses costing more than $1 million each. Partially funded by a grant from the Federal Transit Administration and personally tested by ACE Fitzgerald and PAT CEO Katharine Eagan Kelleman, the buses are anticipated to hit the streets of the East End next […]
This is part one of a two-part series. Rooftop solar is growing across Western Pennsylvania, with Allegheny County now boasting the second-highest number of solar installations in the state at almost 1,800, according to the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission. Once considered a specialty product, solar is becoming a decidedly mainstream investment—even in a cloudy state like […]
More than a century after Pittsburgh dominated electrical innovation, the city is once again lighting the way towards energy reinvention. The Energy Grid Research and Infrastructure Development (GRID) Institute, launched by the University of Pittsburgh, boasts one of the most technically sophisticated testing laboratories in the country, and leads the nation’s efforts to develop micro-grid […]
A question we get fairly often from you, the lovely people of Western Pennsylvania is: Can I switch my electricity provider to something greener? Why yes, yes you can. And as this is one the easiest ways (it takes less than 10 minutes) to reduce your environmental impact, we want to make sure everyone knows […]
As of December 1st, Google became the single largest corporate purchaser of renewable power in the world, joining 116 other companies that have committed to ‘going 100% renewable.’ It’s tempting to see corporate renewable pledges as a balm to otherwise bleak predictions. But what does ‘going renewable’ actually entail? Are companies like Apple and Amazon […]
This is a guest blog by environmental legal expert Ted Robinson Most environmentally conscious consumers know about the benefits of promoting renewable energy sources as well as energy efficiency and conservation programs.[1] However, there is another aspect of utility services that also has a significant impact on the environment, utility rate structure. The Pennsylvania Public […]
Mayor Peduto of Pittsburgh and Mayor Kenney of Philadelphia have spoken out in support not only of a new federal power plan, but also a way to comply that puts those most vulnerable (those who spend the highest portion of their income on energy bills) first. The Clean Power Plan aims to reduce carbon pollution from […]
Last week, p4 Pittsburgh released the p4 Performance Measures, which have been in development for all of 2016. The twelve p4 Performance Measures “will help determine investment prioritization for Pittsburgh’s real estate development projects” in the following categories, each of which offers 10 possible points: Community Opportunity Economy Housing Land Public Connect Rainwater Air Energy Innovation […]
