This collaborative marketing campaign includes the efforts of SmartPower, SDF, PECO, various clean energy suppliers and stakeholder NGO's. The goal is to increase on-site generation of solar energy and expand the voluntary market for clean energy in Pennsylvania. SmartPower designed this campaign to overcome common market barriers that limit consumer demand for clean energy, most notably concerns over reliability and availability of clean energy.

By inviting municipalities to prove that clean energy is real, it's here, and it's working, this campaign builds consumer trust of renewable energy sources, leading to a greater support and demand for clean energy generation.

Each municipality that commits to the Pennsylvania Clean Energy Communities Campaign must complete the following three goals:

1) Commit to purchasing 20% clean energy by 2010 for all municipal facilities.
2) Enroll 7% or 200 new customers in the community for clean energy
3) Begin purchasing a minimum of 5% clean energy in 2007 (followed by 5% annual increases)

Once the municipality has accomplished these three steps, they will qualify as official Clean Energy Communities receive a free 1kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system worth $10,000 as a symbol of their leadership and an educational tool for their community. The solar PV systems and installations are financed by SDF and SmartPower.

SmartPower had originally piloted this model in Connecticut starting in 2003, combining their trademark 20% by 2010 clean energy campaign with a community-based marketing strategy. The resulting Clean Energy Communities Campaign model proved to be extremely successful and SDF invited SmartPower to replicate the program in Pennsylvania with the goal of creating 10 Clean Energy Communities.

Starting in May, 2006, SmartPower conducted outreach to over 60 municipalities and was so successful in recruiting participants that the program more than doubled to include 23 participating municipalities. In fact, the last three communities that committed to the campaign did so without a solar incentive (the program was limited to funding 20 solar installations), demonstrating the valuable momentum that this campaign created in the region.

Once a local government committed to the campaign, their Environmental Advisory Councils (EAC) were appointed to oversee the program implementation. SmartPower worked directly with elected officials and EAC members to help facilitate the campaign and provided a comprehensive Clean Energy Marketing Toolkit to provide ideas and strategies for effective outreach. SmartPower also helped each municipality earn media visibility to promote their efforts.

Within the past year, the campaign has already met its original goals, as ten municipalities have completed the program, qualifying for the free solar and becoming official Clean Energy Communities. SmartPower expects that the 13 additional communities will join their ranks by May, 2008, establishing a far-reaching and influential cohort of municipalities that are creating a model of sustainability and leadership throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania produces 1% of the world's greenhouse gases, due largely from its dependence on fossil fuel generated electricity. In fact, Pennsylvania has more coal burning power plants than any state in the country. This dependence on dirty energy sources also contributes to the current respiratory illness epidemic that impacts over 1 million Pennsylvanians, including 15% of our children. The Pennsylvania Clean Energy Communities Campaign serves to jumpstart the clean energy market, helping Pennsylvania move towards a cleaner, more secure future through wise energy choices.

SmartPower initiated the first campaign in Pennsylvania to build support for clean energy through municipal and community networks and successfully recruit the leadership of local governments to demand a clean energy market. Clean energy accounts for only 1% of electricity sources nationwide and the renewable energy industry has not effectively marketed their product to municipalities. SmartPower has designed a community-based campaign that ignites the voluntary market for clean energy, fueling a more rapid expansion of the renewable energy industry and improving public perception of those energy sources.

By committing to 20% clean energy by 2010, this campaign ensures that each community's commitment to clean energy endures for a minimum of four years and lasts far beyond the celebratory installation of their solar energy system. Many municipalities have expressed the desire to maintain or increase their purchase beyond 2010 since it has become a standard line item in the budget and they now identify themselves as a Clean Energy Community. Already, ten communities have met their residential clean energy enrollment goals are continuing to integrate clean energy into their local sustainability campaigns.
The campaign is a collaborative marketing effort, drawing upon the expertise of various stakeholders, including NGOs, utilities, clean energy suppliers, renewable energy foundations and marketers which meet monthly to discuss campaign progress and develop new ideas. As a result, this campaign benefits from the insight and efforts of many entities which are continually evaluating and improving upon the community campaign model. This model is also exportable and replicable in other parts of the state and throughout the country.

Most importantly, each municipality will receive a free solar energy system at the end of the campaign, a visible and lasting symbol of their leadership as well as an educational tool for their community.

Delaware County:
Marple Township
Middletown Township
Upper Chichester Township
Media Borough
Swarthmore Borough
Nether Providence Township

Chester County:
Tredyffrin Township
Schuylkill Township
East Bradford Township
West Vincent Township
East Vincent Township
South Coventry Township
London Grove Township

Bucks County:
Lower Makefield Township
Upper Makefield Township
Warminster Township
Warrington Township
Doylestown Borough
Wrightstown Township

Montgomery County:
Abington Township
Cheltenham Township
Upper Dublin Township
Jenkintown Borough

As of December, 2007, ten municipalities officially achieved their campaign goals, qualifying as Clean Energy Communities and becoming eligible for their free solar photovoltaic systems provided by SmartPower and SDF. In addition, 11 out of the 23 municipalities have fully embraced their commitment to clean energy, deciding to purchase 20%-100% clean energy in 2007, far surpassing the required minimum purchase of 20% by 2010 (starting with 5% in 2007).

As a result of this campaign, participating municipalities are increasing the percentage of enrolled clean energy customers in their communities by 20%-400%, accelerating the rate at which the clean energy market expands in the region. Altogether, the program will create a demand for 9,300 MWh of clean energy and directly enroll 3,300 new clean energy customers. In addition, 20kW of solar energy will be installed throughout the region. This combined impact will keep 20,282,220 pounds of greenhouse gases out of our atmosphere. These clean energy purchases put municipalities in Pennsylvania at the forefront of the battle against the climate crisis, filling a critical need for leadership.

Collectively, these municipalities serve a population of 360,000 people, reaching a wide audience. In order to reach these goals, the municipalities have launched comprehensive and creative community outreach to spread the word that clean energy is an available and reliable resource. They have spread this message through newsletters, PSAs, letters to the editor, community events, door-to-door canvassing, web-based outreach, municipal competitions, school-based outreach, educational forums and performances.

Being leading Clean Energy Communities has become part of each municipality's identity and has reinforced or catalyzed additional sustainability and greening initiatives related to energy efficiency, large scale solar installations, and greenhouse gas reductions. In addition, two municipalities created Environmental Advisory Councils (EACs) to spearhead their campaigns, creating a coalition of committed citizens which will continue to serve and guide their municipality in all environmental matters. The Pennsylvania Clean Energy Communities Campaign has created a new group of leading municipalities that are proving that clean energy is real, it's here, and it's working. Let's make more!