When the Philadelphia Museum of Art dimmed its lights and upgraded its systems, it didn’t just preserve masterpieces—it slashed electricity use by 28 percent, a quiet triumph in a decade-long campaign that has reshaped the city’s energy future. Over the past ten years, the Philadelphia Energy Campaign has generated $1.4 billion in energy savings, created 11,000 jobs, and drawn $1.3 billion in economic investment, all without relying on federal funding. At the heart of this transformation is a financial model so inventive it’s drawing national attention: the art of ‘stacking’ public, private, and philanthropic dollars to make clean energy accessible across income levels.
The campaign began in 2016 under the leadership of Philadelphia City Council President Darrell Clarke, who brought together labor unions, schools, and community groups long isolated from one another. Emily Schapira, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA), calls that early phase a ‘Jenga approach’—testing which blocks could move. The real breakthrough came with the creation of two powerful tools: Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) and the Philadelphia Green Capital Corp., a nonprofit green bank launched in 2021. C-PACE has funneled nearly $400 million into 22 energy upgrade projects, generating $29.9 million in municipal tax revenue. The Green Capital Corp. acts as a financial bridge, offering low-cost loans for efficiency and solar projects that might otherwise stall.
On the ground, the results are tangible. More than 130,000 LED streetlights now illuminate neighborhoods, cutting costs and emissions. Solarize Greater Philadelphia helped over 4,300 homeowners—more than half from low-income households—install solar panels, adding 25 megawatts of clean energy to the grid. The Built to Last program has served over 400 low-income families, delivering annual savings of $300 to $1,000 per household through home repairs and efficiency upgrades. Even the city’s water system got in on the action: a pipe protection program reduces water loss, which in turn slashes the energy needed for pumping and treatment.
The campaign’s resilience was tested early. Launched during the Trump administration, it was built to thrive without federal support—a necessity that became a strength. When Philadelphia lost a promised $156 million Solar for All grant, the model held. “We really designed everything around models that are very flexible and able to take advantage of opportunities when they come,” Schapira says. Today, the city’s sustainability director, Elizabeth Lankenau, sees a broader lesson: progress doesn’t require waiting for permission. “We’re all moving the needle in our own way,” she says. “So, let’s just keep doing what we’re doing and focus on what we can change.”
A decade in, Philadelphia has proven that local action, smart financing, and political will can ignite a quiet revolution—one streetlight, one rooftop, one home at a time.