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From YouTube: Committee on Environment - 02-25-2020
Description
City of Philadelphia
Public Hearing Notice
February 18, 2020
The Committee on the Environment of the Council of the City of Philadelphia will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, February 25, 2020, at 1:00 PM, in Room 400, City Hall, to hear testimony on the following item:
200090 An Ordinance amending Chapter 9 3400 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Energy Conservation,” by amending Section 9 3403, entitled “Solar Panel Incentives,” amending certain definitions, under certain terms and conditions.
Immediately following the public hearing, a meeting of the Committee on the Environment, open to the public, will be held to consider the action to be taken on the above listed item.
Copies of the foregoing item are available in the Office of the Chief Clerk of the Council, Room 402, City Hall.
Michael A. Decker
Chief Clerk
A
Good
afternoon
this
hearing
is
called
to
order.
This
is
the
public
hearing
of
the
City
Council
Committee
on
the
environment.
The
purpose
of
the
public
hearing
is
to
hear
testimony
on
bill
number:
two:
zero:
zero,
zero,
nine
zero
I've
recognized
the
presence
of
a
form
of
committee
members
and
members
of
the
committee
and
attendants
are
to
my
left,
our
majority
leader,
Councilwoman
Parker
council
member
Helen,
Ginn
councilman,
Derrick,
green
and
councilmember
Kendra
Brooks.
Thank
you
all
so
much
for
being
here.
A
C
D
Afternoon,
chair
gilmore
Richardson
and
members
of
the
committee,
my
name's
Christina
I'm,
the
director
of
the
office
of
sustainability
for
the
city
of
Philadelphia
I'm,
here
to
testify,
in
support
of
bill
to
zero
zero
nine
zero,
which
makes
technical
amendments
to
the
solar
incentive
program
established
through
legislation.
Last
year,
the
office
of
sustainability
works
to
improve
community
quality
of
life
and
prepare
Philadelphia
for
a
hotter
and
wetter
future.
D
Due
to
climate
change
in
Philadelphia,
almost
80%
of
our
carbon
emissions
come
buildings
and
Industry,
which
is
why
it's
so
important
to
focus
our
efforts
on
making
our
buildings
more
energy
efficient
and
to
move
them
towards
using
clean
energy.
Providing
renewable
electricity
to
Philadelphians
is
one
of
the
most
effective
mechanisms
for
combating
climate
change.
However,
solar
energy
usage
has
several
other
cool
benefits.
As
solar
generation
becomes
more
affordable,
it
will
become
easier
to
add
philadelphi
homes
in
every
neighborhood
to
lower
energy
bills
and
provide
clean
power.
D
Citywide
solar
will
help
displace
fossil
fuel
generation
from
our
regional
electricity
grid,
reducing
air
pollution
making
its
way
into
Philadelphia
and
installing
solar
generation
citywide
will
generate
new
local
job
opportunities,
including
those
for
students
of
the
bright
Soler's
futures
initiative
run
by
the
school
district
and
the
Philadelphia
Energy
Authority.
We
were
happy
to
support
the
passage
of
the
original
legislation
to
create
the
sono
solar
panel
incentive
program.
However,
some
of
the
technical
definitions
would
have
prohibited
some
properties
that
were
intended
to
be
included
from
being
eligible
to
participate.
Bill
number
two:
zero,
zero.
D
Nine
zero
provides
greater
clarity
on
these
properties
in
order
to
ensure
that
more
types
of
solar
installations
are
able
to
benefit
from
the
program.
Therefore,
we
are
happy
to
provide
support
for
bill
number
two:
zero:
zero,
nine
zero.
Thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
testify.
Thank
you
for
taking
on
the
chair
of
this
committee.
We're
looking
forward
to
working
with
you
more
in
the
future
and
I'll
be
happy
answer.
Any
questions.
A
E
But
one
of
my
major
concerns
our
commercial
buildings,
and
now
we
and
I
introduced
in
passed
legislation
last
term
regarding
C
paced,
and
we
made
some
amendments
to
grow
that
the
Energy
Authority
has
been
really
I'm,
reaching
out
to
a
lot
of
property
owners
to
explain
to
them.
The
benefits
of
solar
installation
on
commercial
buildings,
I
believe
the
C
pays
legislation
which
the
neighbor
legislation
came
through
to
governor
Wolf's
office.
Other
states
have
similar
legislation,
but
we
had
not
done
anything
here.
E
Locally
will
help
to
promote
additional
commercial
property
owners
to
realize
the
benefits
of
solar
panels
on
solar
installations
on
their
properties,
because
now
the
payback
time
is
more
aligned
with
the
general
ownership
time
of
a
property.
But
I
was
curious
from
your
perspective,
other
additional
steps
that
we
can
do
to
get
more,
especially
the
commercial
property
side
entities
to
participate
in
ways
to
reduce
carbon
emissions
and
reduce
some
of
the
concerns
and
causes
of
climate
change.
Yeah.
D
D
One
is
the
climate
collaborative
that
we
launched
in
October,
councilmember
Kim
came
to
the
launch.
That's
really
a
voluntary
effort
for
large
institutions,
businesses,
others,
who
have
sort
of
an
outsized
impact
on
producing
carbon
sort
of
voluntarily
set
goals
and
work
together
to
find
solutions,
so
that
group
that
met
in
October
was
immediately
invited
to
participate
in
a
workshop
on
how
to
do
solar
power
purchase
agreements
which,
as
you
know,
the
city
did
and
council
approved
the
contract
for
that
25
or
so
of
those
40.
D
Companies
came
to
that
workshop
and
now
we're
hearing
from
a
number
of
different
attendees
and
I
want
to
give
anyone's
news
away,
but
a
number
of
different
attendees
who
are
ready
to
announce
that
they're
their
own
south
solar
power
purchase
agreements.
So
we
think
there's
something
to
be
said
about
sharing
best
practices
with
each
other
and
pushing
folks
to
do
the
right
thing.
When
we
know
it's
going
to
be
good
for
the
economy,
good
for
saving
them,
energy
costs
and
sort
of
creating
more
action
towards
climate.
So.
E
And
recently,
governor
wolf
proposed
the
budget
for
the
Commonwealth
Pennsylvania.
It's
probably
in
the
range
of
thirty
three
thirty
four
billion
dollars.
I
had
a
chance
to
kind
of
briefly
look
at
various
aspects
of
the
budget,
but
have
not
had
a
chance
to
look
at
it
from
a
lens
regarding
climate
change
from
your
either
information
or
observations.
Are
there
additional
initiatives
coming
from
the
governor's
office
or
additional
resources
being
put
into
existing
initiatives
that
can
help
with
some
of
the
concerns
that
are
being
addressed
in
this
legislation?
E
One
of
the
things
I
know
you
and
I
have
talked,
and
also
myself
and
mr.
pare
of
an
energy
thority.
If
we
could
have
see
pace
on
multifamily
buildings,
which
would
be
a
very,
very
big
opportunity
to
further
reduce
climate
change,
because
not
only
commercial
buildings
are
big
producers
of
carbon
emissions,
but
no
multifamily
properties,
especially
when
you
look
at
the
impact
of
the
development
over
the
past
number
of
years
that
construction
industry
and
a
number
of
the
high-rises
have
been
no
constructor
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia.
E
So
having
the
ability
to
have
C
pace
on
those
type
of
products
will
also
be
beneficial
to
address
climate
change
so
curious
if
you've
seen
anything
in
the
governor's
budget
address.
That's
is
the
new
or
additional
resources
or
new
executive
branch
initiatives
to
address
this
issue
from
your
observation.
D
I
haven't
dug
into
it
deeply
as
as
of
yet
either,
but
I
know
that
the
that
Reggie,
the
Regional
Greenhouse
Gas
Initiative
proposal
that
the
governor's
put
forward
is
a
huge
step
forward.
You
know
this
is
a
program
that
other
states
are
surrounding
us,
have
all
been
participating
in
for
a
number
of
years
and
have
seen
success
in
terms
of
reducing
greenhouse
gas
emissions
via
this
program.
So
I'm
really
happy
to
see
the
governor
stepping
forward
and
trying
to
pursue
Reggie
for
Pennsylvania.
D
It's
long
overdue,
I
think
there's
a
number
of
other
possible
legislative
actions
that
we've
been
wanting
to
see
out
of
Harrisburg
for
a
number
of
years.
One
would
be
updating
the
alternative
energy
portfolio
standard
which,
when
it
passed
in
2005,
was
really
forward-thinking
and
really
made
a
big
dent
in
growing
a
renewable
energy
sector
in
Pennsylvania.
But
in
2020
is
you
know,
just
not
really
being
effective
policy
to
get
us
where
we
need
to
go.
So
we
need
to
see
the
solar
carve
out
of
that
ApS
bill.
You
know
dramatically
increased
under
governor
Rendell.
D
There
was
also
a
sunshine
program
that
helped
to
sort
of,
as
the
solar
panel
incentive
program
locally,
is
doing,
helped
to
provide
direct
grants
and
rebates
for
folks
who
were
installing
solar,
so
I
think
more
dollars
allocated
at
the
state
level
would
also
be
helpful,
given
that
the
federal
tax
credit
will
be
sort
of
stepping
down
this
year
and
the
next
several
years
going
forward.
So
those
are
a
few
additional
things.
D
C
A
F
Just
want
to
thank
the
bill
sponsors
really
for
the
clarity
that
the
bill
provides
and
the
opportunity
for
you
know
for
us
to
make
sure
that
that
we're
doing
everything
that
we
can
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia
to
be
more
sustainable.
So
you
know
there
are
a
lot
of
challenges
ahead
of
us
enough
that
you
know.
Obviously,
global
warming
is
one
of
them.
It's
real.
We
haven't
had
snow,
but
beyond.
F
A
You
thank
you.
Thank
you,
so
much
council
member
bass
is
there
anyone
else
and
chambers
here
to
testify
on
this
bill.
Anyone
else,
okay,
seeing
none!
That
concludes
the
public
hearing
on
the
bill
before
the
committee
today,
we
will
now
go
into
the
public
meeting
to
consider.
The
action
will
be
taken
on
bill
number:
two:
zero:
zero,
zero,
nine
zero.
The
chair
recognizes
our
vice
chair,
councilmember
bass
for
a
motion
on
bill
number:
two:
zero:
zero,
zero,
nine,
zero.
F
A
You
it
has
been
moved
and
properly
seconded
a
bill
number
okay.
It
has
been
moved
and
properly
seconded
that
bill
number
to
zero,
zero,
zero.
Nine
zero
will
be
reported
from
this
committee
with
a
favorable
recommendation
and
further
move
that
the
rules
of
counsel
be
suspended
to
permit
first
reading
of
this
bill
at
the
next
session
of
council.
All
those
in
favor
of
the
motion
will
signify
by
saying
aye
those
opposed
the
eyes
have
it
and
the
motion
carry
bill.