Solar Week 8/18-8/22, Sun Day Sept 21, W 8/20 7pm Data Centers

[Bill Sabey]

Two emails on solar and electricity impacts. See 2) for Aug 20 webinar

1) Solar Week 8/18-8/22, Sun Day Sept 21, Solar for All and PJM impact on electricity prices

Note: each of the Solar Week events has a Register link under the description. Select the event names on Philadelphia Solar Week 2025 ☀️.

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: Liz Robinson <li...@phillysolar.org>

To: 

Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2025 at 10:33:29 AM EDT

Subject: Solar News You Can Use

Philadelphia Solar Energy Association     August 2025 Newsletter


Sun Day  September 21, 2025:  SAVE THE DATE

 

Sun Day, September 21 is a national solar celebration day – to show our support for solar energy and for more clean affordable energy for all.   Sun Day Philly will be full of solar powered and inspired activities for all ages:  live music, art, model solar car races, solar s’mores, solar kits for teachers, exhibits and opportunities to take action.  We'll let you know as soon as the location is finalized. Join us:    If you would like to volunteer or exhibit, contact Liz Robinson, lizh...@gmail.com.

7th Annual Philadelphia Solar Week 2025

Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA), Philadelphia Green Capital Corp. (PGCC), solar industry partners, and community leaders are co-hosting a series of solar energy showcases, policy roundtables, and customer appreciation events during Philadelphia Solar Week from August 18 through 23. Register at SolarWeekPHL.org. 


Solar for All Grants Rescinded

One of the many punitive actions taken by Trump is EPA’s  rescission of Solar for All,  the first national program that would have provided solar energy to low income households across PA as a way to guarantee affordable clean energy.  The Solar for All program required that each low income participating household save at least 20% on their energy bills.  At this time when everyone is being hit with rising energy bills,  this program could have provided much needed relief.


PJM Capacity Auction raises electricity bills AGAIN !

Unfortunately, PJM’s capacity auction last month resulted in even higher prices across the entire region.  Electricity bills,  which have already risen an average of 25% since 2024,  will rise another 5% as a result.  Evergreen's recent analysis finds that if PJM were to review the thousands of new generation applications currently in its queue in a timely manner,  we would actually see our electricity rates decline by 4%! 


PSEA depends on support from people like you.   Donate

2) W 8/20 7pm Data Centers

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: Sierra Club <re...@emails.sierraclub.org>

To: 

Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2025 at 06:33:10 AM EDT

Subject: UPCOMING: Join our Aug 20 webinar on AI, Crypto & Climate

Dear Bill, Our August 20 webinar about the hidden climate costs of AI and data centers is coming up soon, and we don't want you to miss it! Why it matters: ⚡ Data centers, running AI and crypto demands, can consume as much electricity as cities. 💰 Utilities that power data centers are relying on more coal and gas, which means higher energy bills and stalled climate progress. 📈 Data center growth is exploding -- hundreds of new data centers are being built nationwide, with estimates showing that they could use as much power as 67 million homes by 2030. RSVP now! If you can't make it, RSVP anyway, and we'll send you the recording. This webinar will equip you with the facts and tools to push for accountability, from demanding new clean energy to insisting data centers pay their share for the power they use. Take a look at the original email we sent below to learn even more about the threat that data centers pose to our health, our communities, and our wallets! Thank you, Jeremy As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are rapidly rolled out and cryptocurrencies become more commonplace, the enormous amounts of energy they require are threatening climate goals and the progress we've already achieved in protecting our health and water use. AI and crypto technologies are fueling a massive buildout of data centers -- energy-hungry facilities that require electricity around the clock. With little oversight and even less transparency, these enormous facilities are being fast-tracked in states across the country and putting decades of clean energy progress at risk and threatening to impact your energy costs. RSVP to our August 20 webinar to learn how Big Tech's energy appetite could be impacting your community and your energy bills -- and how we can demand better! Learn more at our webinar Here's the problem: AI models and crypto mining operations use vast amounts of computing power, and that means more electricity. Just one data center can use as much power as a small city. But instead of accelerating renewable energy, many utilities are turning back to coal and gas to keep up, undermining climate goals and threatening air and water quality in our communities – all at the expense of our energy bills. 🏭 In the last two years alone, more than 200 supersized new data centers were built across 24 states, each consuming more electricity than the largest factories. There are more than 600 of these giant data centers being planned for operation in the next five years. 🔌 Collectively, AI and cloud compute data centers could demand around 100 gigawatts of electricity by 2030, roughly equivalent to powering 67 million homes. 🤔 Most Big Tech companies claim that they're aiming for a sustainable, renewable future, but in many cases, utilities are delaying coal plant retirements or constructing new gas plants just to meet data center demands. Big Tech shouldn't be allowed to sacrifice our health, climate, and paychecks for unchecked expansion. That's why the Sierra Club is working to expose the impacts and support communities demanding transparency, guardrails, and clean, just futures. We need public accountability and energy planning that prioritizes people and the planet, not unregulated tech growth. That means requiring that data centers pay for local, new clean energy to meet their needs, speak up to stop utilities from using their data centers as an excuse to keep fossil fuels online, demanding guardrails to protect our rates, and strengthening state energy planning laws to ensure climate targets are met, not reversed. Whether you're concerned about your electric bills, protecting climate goals, or the impacts of local pollution, this webinar is for you. RSVP now Can't make it? RSVP to receive the recording to view on your own time. This is a critical moment. As AI data centers rapidly scale, decisions made today about how we power them will shape our energy future for decades. Let's make sure these decisions center people, not polluters.  We hope to see you on August 20 to help us make sure our energy system serves people and the planet, not just Big Tech. In Solidarity, Sierra Club DONATE Please consider making a donation to support the Sierra Club Foundation's vital work. Your gift will give us the resources we need to fight for our shared public lands, hold our leaders accountable, and ensure a brighter, sustainable future for all.

This email was sent by the Sierra Club 2101 Webster St., Suite 1300, Oakland, CA 94612