Putting our commitment to the environment into action - learn about some of our green initiatives.
PECO is partnering with Natural Lands to provide grants to assist in a variety of open space projects.
Over the years, numerous municipalities, regional recreational authorities, and nonprofits in southeastern Pennsylvania have undertaken a variety of open space projects. Recognizing the importance of these initiatives, PECO is partnering with Natural Lands to provide grants to assist in these efforts. Eligible applicants include municipalities and regional recreational authorities within PECO’s suburban service territory, which includes portions of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and York Counties. Within the City of Philadelphia, incorporated nonprofit organizations are also eligible.
Through the PECO Green Region Open Space Program, PECO provides grant awards up to $10,000. A committee composed of county officials, conservation professionals, and PECO representatives review proposals and awards the grants annually. The grants must be used with funding from other sources and may cover expenses such as consulting fees, trail construction, land acquisition, habitat improvement, and/or the cost of creating and implementing an open space plan. More information about the 2021 grant round can be found in this brochure. PECO Green Region grant applications are only accepted through the online portal, which can be found at here. The application submission deadline for 2021 grant round funding requests is 4:00pm, Wednesday, September 28, 2022.
Since PECO Green Region’s inception in 2004, PECO has awarded over 300 grants and $2.5 million to support open space and environmental projects throughout our service area. If you are undertaking an open space project, we hope you’ll consider applying for a PECO Green Region grant. We hope that PECO Green Region funds will make a real difference as you work to preserve and protect farmland, watersheds, parks, and trails for this and future generations.
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Estelle Wynn Dolan, administrator of the PECO Green Region Open Space Program, by calling 610-353-5587 ext. 213, or by email at edolan@natlands.org.
ReLeaf is a program from PECO centered around the company’s increased investment and support of tree planting and education across the Greater Philadelphia region.
What is ReLeaf? ReLeaf is a program from PECO centered around the company's increased investment and support of tree planting and education across the Greater Philadelphia region. ReLeaf's goal is to develop southeastern Pennsylvania's urban tree canopy by supporting the planting of one tree for every tree removed as part of the company's electric reliability enhancement work.
The program debuted on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at an event held in partnership with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS). At the event, PECO presented PHS with a $200,000 donation, doubling the company's annual investment. These funds will provide increased resources for the organization's tree programming, including new investments in Yard Tree Giveaways and TreeVitalize Watershed Grant programs. With this additional funding, PHS will be best positioned to train more Tree Tenders and plant more trees across the region, further supporting PECO's 1:1 tree planting goal.
How do trees impact reliability?
To keep the lights on and provide the reliable electric service that our customers have come to expect, PECO invests millions of dollars each year in vegetation management efforts, which includes pruning, tree removal, mowing and public education. Our work to maintain reliability is important — we trim and remove trees while managing vegetation across our service territory to help reduce power outages and during our work to upgrade and modernize electric infrastructure, which will ultimately increase our region's clean energy resources.
We work to minimize the number of trees that need to be removed when upgrading our infrastructure where possible, and we have enlisted specially trained arborists, qualified and trained in accordance with the AmericanNational Standards Institute (ANSI) A300 standard, to lead our vegetation management efforts, ensuring that we make responsible decisions when it comes to trees and vegetation.
How do these efforts support our region's transition to a clean energy future?
PECO is on a Path to Clean, playing a leading role in the Greater Philadelphia region's transition to a clean energy future. As part of this goal, PECO and the collective Exelon utilities will reduce operations-driven emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. In addition to reducing emissions, PECO's Path to Clean journey includes support for all things green, specifically through environmental stewardship efforts — which is the foundation of ReLeaf. Supporting the planting, maintenance, and education about trees remains integral to our Path to Clean, and will continue to provide direction for, and the growth of, the ReLeaf program.
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We are making upgrades to secure LEED certification for many of our buildings throughout the region.
We made upgrades to secure LEED certification for many of our buildings throughout the region.
PECO installed a 45,000 square feet green roof atop the company's headquarters at 23rd and Market Streets in Philadelphia in 2008.
We are increasing the use of alternative fueled vehicles.
We are building an industry-leading green supply chain.
PECO is working to reduce the environmental impacts of the materials and services we procure, and to encourage the environmental performance of suppliers themselves. Our Supply organization includes environmental questions in sourcing requests. This allows PECO to evaluate the environmental performance of its suppliers.
PECO's parent company Exelon uses a number of environmental standards that are incorporated in its business processes, including standards for transformers, wire and cable, wood poles and the vehicle fleet. As one of the founders of the Electric Utility Industry Sustainable Supply Chain Alliance (www.euissca.org), Exelon has become a national leader in supply chain-environmental management. Through the Alliance, Exelon has helped lead the development of industry standards for evaluating the environmental attributes of key materials and services as well as performance metrics for supplier companies. Exelon's Supply group continuously looks for opportunities to introduced eco-friendly products into the supply chain focusing on sustainability and materials total live cycle.
We are helping employees adopt green practices in the workplace and at home.
PECO has an extremely proactive program to reduce our Greenhouse Gas emissions and has helped the environment through reduced use of natural resources, reduced waste disposal and fewer air contaminates. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is a colorless, odorless, non-flammable, and non-toxic synthetic gas with a greenhouse gas impact 23,000 times higher than CO2. Though replacement and repair of SF6 switches and circuit breakers PECO has reduced SF6 emissions by more than 64%.
Here are ways PECO’s customers can help the environment.
Carbon footprint calculator – Determine your impact
Use this calculator* to reduce your carbon footprint. Best of all, you can quantify how much changes to your home, your car, even your trash will reduce your carbon footprint.
Energy Efficiency – Save energy, reduce your impact
Save energy and money by taking advantage of these solutions and tools PECO provides for your home . This come at little or no cost. In some cases, we'll pay you. Learn more.
Generate your own – My Green Power Connection
Learn the ins and outs of generating your own power – by solar or other means – and how you can reduce your demand on the electric grid to reduce emissions from power generating stations. Learn more.
Good-bye Tailpipe Emissions – Drive an electric vehicle (EV)
Whether you're already driving an EV or considering an EV, PECO's EVsmart Program gives you the rebates, tools, and information to charge faster, smarter, and more conveniently. Learn more.
*BEV or PHEV owners should use the U.S. EPA MPGe rating for transportation emissions.
