Philly Turns $14.7M Into $1.4B in Clean Energy Savings

Philadelphia just proved that a little money and a lot of collaboration can create something extraordinary.

The Philadelphia Energy Campaign launched in 2016 with just $14.7 million from the city. Over the next decade, it transformed that investment into $1.4 billion in energy savings for residents and businesses while creating more than 11,000 jobs and generating $1.3 billion in economic investment.

"We turned that into $1.3 billion and over 11,000 jobs," said Emily Schapira, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Energy Authority. "It's really been an amazing 10 years."

The campaign's success came from what Schapira calls "stacking and layering" different funding sources. The team blended private financing with small amounts of public money and philanthropy to create programs everyone could use, not just wealthy property owners.

One of their biggest wins was installing 130,000 LED street lights across the city. The Philadelphia Museum of Art cut its electricity use by 28% through energy upgrades, and a water line protection program stopped leaks that wasted energy on pumping and treating lost water.

But the campaign didn't just help big institutions. The Built to Last program helped more than 400 low-income homeowners make energy efficiency and structural improvements, saving each household between $300 and $1,000 every year.

The Solarize Greater Philadelphia program helped over 4,300 homeowners install solar panels, with more than half being low-income residents. Together they added 25 megawatts of clean solar power to the grid.

The campaign generated $25.3 million in annual tax revenue and over $130 million per year in capital investment. City Council President Darrell Clarke built a coalition of labor unions, school officials, and community organizations that opened doors across city government.

"Having that political encouragement, even though it didn't come with a lot of money, really made all the difference," Schapira said. It got departments that don't normally work together to collaborate, from the housing authority to the transit authority to the school district.

The Ripple Effect

The Philadelphia Green Capital Corp., a nonprofit "green bank" launched in 2021, became a game changer for financing. It provides low-cost loans for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, making clean energy accessible to more people.

Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy financing allowed property owners to pay for upgrades through their property tax bills. This tool alone supported $400 million in financing across 22 projects and generated nearly $30 million in municipal tax revenue.

The campaign survived the loss of federal funding, including a $156 million Solar for All grant, because it was designed to be flexible from the start. Launched during the first Trump administration, founders never counted on federal dollars.

"We really designed everything around models that are very flexible and able to take advantage of opportunities when they come," Schapira said. The key is not getting "bogged down by all you can't do."

Philadelphia's model shows cities everywhere that clean energy isn't just good for the planet—it's good for wallets, jobs, and communities.