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Philadelphia Energy Authority highlights $1.3B decade of clean‑energy investment and asks council for more operating funds to scale housing and workforce work
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Summary
PEA told the council it has driven $1.3 billion in investment and nearly 11,000 jobs over the last decade and asked for an FY27 allocation larger than the mayor’s $1.3 million proposal to scale home repairs, workforce training and energy projects.
Emily Shapira, president and chief executive officer of the Philadelphia Energy Authority, told the Committee of the Whole that PEA has driven approximately $1.3 billion in investment since 2016 and said the authority is requesting a larger FY27 operating allocation to scale proven programs.
Shapira said the city has invested about $14.7 million in PEA over the last decade and that PEA’s work generated about $25.3 million in city tax revenue over the same period. She described a 90‑to‑1 leverage figure—"for every $1 of city investment in PEA, we've spurred $90 of local investment"—and cited broader economic output figures tied to PEA projects.
On housing and the Built to Last program, Shapira said funds had just begun to flow and the authority has committed to a minimum of 267 additional homes to be taken off the wait list; she reported a current wait list of 4,767 homes, 427 homes already completed, and 270 homes in construction. With the newly layered HOME funds, she said PEA expects the total homes preserved or upgraded could exceed 900 when combined with other funding sources.
Shapira outlined workforce and training outcomes tied to PEA programs: nearly 11,000 jobs associated with PEA‑driven investment over a decade, nearly 120 graduates from the green retrofit immersive training (GRIT) program, and several hundred placements through the Good Jobs Challenge and partner employers.
On city infrastructure, Shapira reviewed the Philadelphia Streetlight Improvement Project numbers: about 125,305 fixtures replaced, a $92 million project delivered on time and on budget, with estimated annual savings of approximately $8 million and broad minority and women‑owned business participation reported.
Council members asked for more detail on program staffing and the recurring pattern in mayoral proposals that leave PEA at a lower base level; Shapira said that the lower baseline causes project delays and staffing challenges and that fully funding the operating request is “critical” to deploy home funds quickly and scale other projects.
Shapira also noted energy supply pressures tied to data‑center growth and urged council oversight to manage growth that could push rates higher. The hearing recessed with no funding vote; council members pledged to continue budget negotiations.
