PHILADELPHIA, PA, June 30, 2023 – On a sunny day in late June, a crowd gathers outside of the offices of the Hunting Park Community Revitalization Corporation to “flip the switch” on a new solar array. This neighborhood nonprofit is leveraging grant funding and President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to install solar in the office, which will support their mission to provide energy assistance, weatherization, and support for low- income families in the community. HPCRC has been instrumental in connecting Hunting Park residents to the Philadelphia Energy Authority’s Built To Last program, which coordinates and funds critical home repairs, weatherization, and solar installations for low-income Philadelphians.
“With this new solar installation, we are able to demonstrate the benefits of solar energy, both economically and environmentally, as we make the transition to electrification,” said Charles Lanier, Director of Hunting Park Community Revitalization Corporation. “Our Beat The Heat Initiative has identified that during the summer months, it can be 22 degrees hotter vs other communities in Philadelphia. We will continue to help our communities to stay cool by providing access to cooling stations, air conditioners, fans, and other cooling materials, as well as connect residents with weatherization and solar programs in partnership with Hunting Park Community Solar Initiative.”
This solar installation is the latest development in a local solar program called the Hunting Park Community Solar Initiative (HPCSI), which works to bring solar training, jobs, and installations to Hunting Park-a neighborhood that has faced some of the worst effects of rising temperatures due to climate change. HPCSI is a growing organization that has been organizing block captains, faith leaders, clean energy advocates, and local nonprofit organizations in Hunting Park to address cli- mate justice issues. The Hunting Park Community Revitalization Corporation has already been addressing the interrelated issues of heat waves, air pollution, and the high energy burden of low-income households for years. HPCRC serves as a Neighborhood Energy Center where low-income families can access energy assistance programs and offers weatherization workshops and information about low-income solar programs.
“We are proud to install solar systems that benefit low- income families and amazing community organizations like HPCRC,” says Jackson Kusiak, Director of Community Partnerships at Solar States. “We want to see equitable solar development across the city. We’re doing everything we can to help low-income families and community organizations access all the benefits of the new Inflation Reduction Act legislation.”
The Hunting Park Community Revitalization Corporation is able to go solar in part because they can take advantage of the “elective pay” provision , …
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