Energy and Environmental
Advisory Board
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY BOARD: Members of the Advisory Board, pictured here with Council, are: (front row, from left) Bruce Thomas, Energy Manager for Delaware County government; Joe Salvucci, executive director of the Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority (DELCORA); Ralph Brown, Regional External Affairs Manager for PECO; Lorraine Bradshaw, Middletown architect, councilwoman and member of the Delaware Valley Green Building Council; Council members Christine Fizzano Cannon and Jack Whelan; Peter Alyanakian, a Media Borough councilman who is at the forefront of Media’s energy conservation efforts; Joe Solomon, president of Provident Energy Consulting; (second row, from left) Peter Williamson, Vice President of Conservation Services at Natural Lands Trust Inc; Council members Tom McGarrigle, Andy Lewis and Linda Cartisano; (not pictured) Sue Cordes, Recycling and Hazardous Waste Coordinator for Delaware County Solid Waste Authority.
EEAB Work Scope and Focus Areas
Formation of the EEAB was the first step in establishing an overall plan for energy efficiency at the county level. The major goals of the project include:
- Formation of Subcommittees
- Obtain a Greenhouse Gas Inventory and review resultant data
- Develop Countywide Goals and Policies for Increasing Energy Efficiency
- Develop an Energy element of the County Comprehensive Plan
- Implement action items from Energy Plan
- Provide education and outreach to County residents on energy issues
Throughout 2008, The EEAB met monthly to assess a wide variety of initiatives and to develop an Energy Conservation Plan Element that will be included in the County’s overall Comprehensive Plan. Both for the Energy Conservation Plan Element and a series of shorter-term, implementable actions, the EEAB has focused their recommendations in the following five areas:
- Clean and renewable energy
- Waste reduction and recycling
- Energy efficiency for operations and facilities
- Transportation initiatives
- Land use initiatives
The Board hosted a public meeting on September 25, 2008 in the County Council meeting room at the Government Center in Media. During the meeting, members of the Board sought public input on energy and environmental initiatives.
Delaware County Energy Conservation Plan Element
The EEAB is currently working to develop an Energy Conservation Plan Element of the County Comprehensive Plan.
“Delaware County is one of the first counties in the Commonwealth to incorporate an Energy Conservation Plan Element in its Comprehensive Plan as detailed in the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code,” According to Council person Christine Fizzano Cannon.
“We want a purposeful plan that will ensure that Delaware County will have a healthy, safe environment for generations to come,” Mrs. Fizzano Cannon said. “We want to be sure that we operate our buildings in the most energy-efficient manner. There are so many small proactive steps that add up, from turning off the lights and computers to conserving landfill space and encouraging carpooling.”
“It’s important that we move toward energy independence,” Mrs. Fizzano Cannon said. “Delaware County is committed to using less energy through better technology to light and heat our buildings and power our facilities. Lowering our energy costs also enables us to invest more in our communities. It’s a win-win situation.”
The Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code details the Energy Conservation Plan Element as follows:
“To promote energy conservation and the effective utilization of renewable energy sources, the comprehensive plan may include an energy conservation plan element which systematically analyzes the impact of each other component and element of the comprehensive plan on the present and future use of energy in the municipality (ie. Delaware County), details specific measures contained in the other plan elements designed to reduce energy consumption, and proposes other measures that the municipality may take to reduce energy consumption and to promote the effective utilization of renewable energy sources.”
For more information, see the press release on the formation of the EEAB.
Regional Efforts
In addition to the work of the EEAB focusing on county energy use and policies, Delaware County is also participating in regional energy planning efforts being undertaken by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC). DVRPC recently completed a comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory for its nine-county region (including four New Jersey Counties) and allocated the regional results down to the county and municipal level. This inventory, with a base year of 2005, will serve as a benchmark against which Delaware County can measure its energy savings and environmental impacts in the coming year.
The next step in DVRPC’s Climate Change and Energy focus area is to evaluate greenhouse gas reduction options and develop a regional action plan, and Delaware County will be an active participant in that process.
Delaware County has been working with the Metropolitan Caucus, a convening body of elected officials from the five counties in southeastern Pennsylvania designed to establish consensus around shared objectives and engage in actionable initiatives to promote regional prosperity. The Caucus is looking to leverage efficiencies and resources by looking at regional energy strategies. Work has already started with regional cooperation in work with the United States Department of Energy on the Energy Efficiency Conservation and Block Grant funding program.