Phoenixville Area Communities Adopt Clean Energy Transition Plans
Posted July 18, 2023
For the last 18+ months, a group of passionate individuals from the Phoenixville area have worked diligently to develop a series of Clean Area Transition Plans for their respective communities. Chester County Planning Commission's Senior Community Planner, Mark Gallant, assisted with this effort which was presented at CCPC's July Board Meeting.
"It was very refreshing to work with such a passionate group of individuals," noted Gallant upon introducing the group to the Board. Those involved included Dennis Ray of East Pikeland Township, Johnathan Meyers of Schuylkill Township, John Matthews of West Pikeland Township, and Kirk Reinhold and Kathy McDevitt of West Vincent Township — along with Marika Selzler-Williams and Paul Spiegel of Practical Energy Solutions who provided consulting services.
Spiegel and Selzler-Williams presented an overview of the plan's development and scope of work, including a review and revision of clean energy plans, energy audits and solar feasibility studies, community engagement and outreach, and educational materials.
"Their goal is not to just get to 100% renewable energy for their township operations," explained Spiegel, "But also everybody in the township — residents, businesses, institutions." He noted that while it's no simple task, the program's development helped build a foundation for others to carry forward.
So far three of the four Phoenixville area communities have accepted the plans, with the fourth still in progress.
This multifaceted effort was funded through the county's Vision Partnership Program (VPP) back in 2021, as it supports both Landscapes3 Connect Objective E, "to promote safe, sustainable, and resilient energy and communications systems at the local, regional, and national level," as well as the county's Climate Action Plan.
Learn more about clean energy initiatives in Chester County.