Mayor transmits solar-energy procurement ordinance, council receives PEA appointments

The mayor submitted a communication read into the record on May 7 asking the City Council to consider an ordinance that would authorize the procurement department, on behalf of the city, to enter into an agreement with the Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA) to purchase electricity and related attributes from a solar energy facility to be built and owned by Reactivate LLC at Northeast Philadelphia Airport.

The chief clerk read the text of the proposed ordinance and also reported multiple appointments and reappointments to the PEA board, including new and reappointed members (Gurav Ma, Matthew Bowman, Barbara Moore, Sante Rivas and Sophia Lee). The transmittal moves the ordinance and confirmations to the appropriate committee(s) for review.

What council recorded: The mayor’s message described the solar project as intended to supply electricity for city facilities under specified contract terms; the communication was placed on the record and will be referred to committee as required by council rules. No final vote on the purchase agreement occurred at this session.

Why it matters: The proposal would pair a municipal procurement vehicle with a PEA arrangement to secure renewable generation for city use; council review will examine contract terms, pricing, delivery timelines and any relationship to city climate or resiliency goals.

Next steps: The ordinance and appointments were referred to the appropriate committee(s) for hearings and vetting; council staff and committee chairs will schedule reviews and solicit additional briefing materials from the administration and PEA.