Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA)

There was not a dry eye in the training center yesterday morning as we celebrated the last graduation of 2024. This cohort of 15 home performance students came to ECA in partnership with Beyond Literacy and earned five construction, energy efficiency, and safety credentials. For four of these students, we also celebrated them achieving their GED, which was an emotional moment for the family and friends who stood by their sides. This is a big step towards a sustainable future for all of these students - they worked hard and lifted each other up to finish this program and set course for careers with family sustaining wages!   This holiday season, consider making a gift to ECA and enabling us to continue training the next generation of clean energy professionals: ecasavesenergy.org/donate

ECA is hiring for two NEW positions: 👷 Employer Placement Coordinator 🛠 Purchasing and Inventory Specialist Check out these new career opportunities to see if you might be the right fit at https://lnkd.in/eQsWVeAM

With the increase in automation and prevalence of AI, many people are worried for their job security. Fortunately, the 16 graduates of ECA's pre-apprenticeship program with Connection Training Services (CTS) are now equipped with the skills and credentials to find sustainable careers. As CTS Program Director, Albert Littlepage, put it "there's no machine that can weatherize a house!"   These dedicated and patient young people stuck with the program, even when they were frustrated or faced obstacles. Now they have three industry credentials and are ready to become gas technicians, work in home improvement, or take a creative path that we haven't even thought of! We're so proud of this cohort and can't wait to see what they accomplish. Congratulations!   If you're considering a career in the clean energy, learn more at https://lnkd.in/eciXr3cH

ECA runs many different programs – from weatherizing and repairing homes, to hosting community workshops that educate our neighbors on energy efficiency, all the way to operating a 58,000 square foot training center for clean energy careers. But through all this work, runs one clear mission: alleviating energy burden and creating a sustainable future. Ms. Nicole’s story illustrates how these different threads weave together to not only provide support now, but also create a foundation for future success. Ms. Nicole lives in Powelton Village with her husband and two sons. When they went down to their basement one day to find water everywhere and their water heater damaged, they didn’t know how they were going to afford a new one. Fortunately, ECA’s community programs team works with organizations across Philadelphia, so when Ms. Nicole reached out to them for help, they referred her to us! Read the full story and make your gift for an equitable energy transition here: https://lnkd.in/eMiqXNjC

Who knew learning about home energy efficiency could be so fun?! We've been hosting workshops to teach communities across the city about conserving their heat to stay warm this winter... and having a great time doing it!   Workshop attendees learn how to install basic weatherization measures in their homes, like caulking windows or putting in a door sweep. And ECA provides those materials to all attendees for free! Please share these upcoming workshops with anyone who you think could benefit (https://lnkd.in/eEDjZnVA) or set up a workshop for your neighbors by contacting Tracey at traceym@ecasys.org or (215) 609-1478.

Is your community struggling to pay their utility bills as the temperatures drop? One out of four Philadelphia homes experience a high energy burden, meaning that they use up to 25% of their household income to pay for their home energy bills.     ECA is here to help. For 40 years, ECA has supported income eligible Philadelphians in accessing utility bill assistance programs like LIHEAP, energy efficiency education, home weatherization, and crisis heater repair. Our network of 16 Neighborhood Energy Centers is ready with knowledgeable energy counselors able to walk clients through the various programs they may be eligible for and help make the best decisions for them.     Spread the word and learn more about how ECA is here to help keep Philadelphia’s heat on: https://lnkd.in/ewxH7T6B

"He that hath a trade hath an estate" is a Benjamin Franklin quote commonly heard around our Green Careers Training Center, but it feels especially applicable for today's graduates of our Gas Technician program. Skilled gas technicians are retiring at a higher pace than they're entering the workforce, leaving the industry with fewer and fewer workers. That's where ECA comes in: we provide training and credentialing for high-need energy careers that pay family sustaining wages. A huge congratulations to today's twelve graduates who worked hard, persevered through learning an incredible amount in such a short period of time, and all passed their exams to become certified gas technicians! As their instructor, Tyrone, said today "I'm looking to see you guys do some big things. This is just the beginning." Interested in a new career? Learn more about ECA's training center here: https://lnkd.in/eciXr3cH

Calling all block captains, community organizations, and offices of elected officials - do you want your constituents to learn how to keep their homes comfortable this winter while reducing their energy bills? Host an ECA led energy efficiency workshop! Your community will learn the basics of conserving energy in their homes to keep themselves warmer in the winter. And don't worry, ECA will provide the instructor and a FREE DIY weatherization kit for all attendees! To schedule a workshop for your community, contact Tracey Mathis with the phone number or email address in the photo.

On October 17, we welcomed just under 200 energy, utility, and community leaders to Drexel University's campus for our 2024 Energy Conference and the outcome was an incredible day of discussion and information sharing! 🚰 The Utility Assistance Programs and Solutions Panel covered the ways that Philadelphia Gas Works, PECO, Philadelphia Water Department, and UESF can support income eligible Philadelphians through hardship funds and other programs. 👷♂️ On our Workforce Development Panel, representatives from Beyond Literacy, Exact Solar, and Philadelphia Works, Inc. shared insights into meeting the needs of the burgeoning clean energy economy. 🏡 The Tangled Titles and Estate Planning Panel helped us unravel the complicated ways that homes pass down through families and how to preserve and build generational wealth with Greater Philadelphia Asian Social Service Center and Affordable Housing Centers of Pennsylvania. 👨👩👧👦 The Strengthening Communities through Collaboration Panel with Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, Clean Water Action, Learn Empower Grow Consulting Group, and Philadelphia Register of Wills #PHLROW reviewed how community-based organizations can work together to support clients and facilitate a just clean energy transition across Philadelphia. ⚡ Lastly, our Electrification and Solar Power Panel had representatives from the City of Philadelphia's Office of Sustainability, The Energy Co-op, PosiGen, and Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission discussing the future of clean energy in our city, state, and country. Thank you to our panelists and moderators for sharing their expertise and to everyone who attended. We hope to see you all next year! In the meantime, check out our upcoming events here: https://lnkd.in/eEDjZnVA

"This is a day of celebration for all of you" said one proud parent at this morning's commencement ceremony. It marked the graduation of 15 students from three different clean energy training programs: HVAC Technician, Integrated Pest Management, and Environmental Remediation. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Region 3 Chief of Staff, Terri Dean, gave words of wisdom to the new graduates, congratulating them on taking this next step towards a new career. A huge thank you to the EPA for funding the Environmental Remediation program! Please join us in sending best wishes to these hardworking young people! And if you're interested in exploring an ECA training program, you can reach out here: https://lnkd.in/e96AEkFm Photo credit: Jeff C.