Resilience: Meadville, PA - 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Globally: This UN goal is defined as universal access to modern energy services, improving energy services, improving efficiency, and increasing the use of renewable sources.

Meadville: Affordable and clean energy is about reducing inefficiencies in our homes and buildings, as well as being conscious of the source of our energy, and using renewable energy where it is economically feasible.

Local Facts and Figures

What incentives are there for sustainable energy practices in Meadville?

State level- Net metering allows residents to sell excess energy they produce from solar panels back into the grid (1).
Solar renewable energy certificates allow PA citizens to sell renewable energy credits for the energy produced from their solar panels (1).
Penelec offers a number of rebates and incentives for improving home energy efficiency. The residential energy audit program offers rebates up to $250 on home energy audits. Click HERE for a full list of Penelec offers.(2)

What electricity options are available to Meadville residents?

Town Square Energy, basic: $0.0488 /kWh (3)
WGL Energy Services, PA Wind: $0.082 /kWh (3)
Life Energy, renewable, $0.0497 (3)

What is the grid mix of Meadville's primary energy provider?

The majority of electricity consumed in Meadville is generated by coal combustion, which is greater than the national average as depicted below.

Figure 1: Grid mix of Penelec parent company. (4)

Figure 2. National grid mix. (5)

What are the characteristics of housing stock in Meadville?

Percentage of houses built before 1950: 55.3% (6)
Home ownership:
- 43.6% of houses are owned (6)
- 56.4% of houses are rented (6)
- 16.4% houses are vacant (6)

Local Strengths and Opportunities

Meadville citizens have a lot of economic incentives to improve residential energy efficiency and produce their own electricity.
There are a lot of economic incentives to increase the energy efficiency of homes in Meadville, if the homeowner can afford the initial investment.
Common Roots is a local organization developing a collaboration with Women's Services and the Career & Technical Center in which scholarships will be available to Women's Services clients to take classes on weatherization, efficiency, and rehabilitation of local homes and buildings. Their vision for the future includes a construction cooperative to facilitate a skilled and supported workforce.

Local Weaknesses and Threats

The old housing stock, combined with the high number of rental properties means that Meadville houses are largely energy inefficient.
Penelecs grid mix contains more coal than the national grid mix.

Case Studies

PUSH BUFFALO, BUFFALO NY: In New York, PUSH Buffalo has found a way to reduce household energy inefficiencies, and save people money.

MONTRÉAL, CANADA: Montréal has found a way to help low-income families and individuals overcome the financial barriers to lower energy bills by providing citizens with free home energy audits.

Citations