The Energy Cooperative, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia

The Energy Cooperative got started in 1979 when a group of members of the Weaver's Way food cooperative in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia wanted to use the concept of group buying power to get lower prices on heating oil. The Energy Cooperative now provides their members renewable electricity, heating oil, and biodiesel, and continues to grow the idea of "strength in numbers."

Annual sales were just under $5 million dollars this past fiscal year, and the co-op has a staff of four dedicated people. They've grown by adding new products – such as renewable electricity and most recently biodiesel - and by adding members. “Our members love to tell their friends about us and most of our new members come from word-of-mouth,” says director of operations Nadia Adawi.

As a member-owned cooperative, the coop does everything for the benefit of its members. They source their power as locally as possible – they buy their solar power from the rooftops of more than 30 of their members and buy wind power from wind farms in Pennsylvania and neighboring states. Several years ago they went looking for a "renewable" heating oil to offer their members who use heating oil, and found nothing produced locally. Seeing this as an opportunity, the Energy Cooperative spun off a new company – Philadelphia Fry-o-Diesel – to produce biofuels from local waste restaurant grease.

“Our biggest challenge,” says Nadia, “is trying to compete in the very volatile energy markets." Without the resources or the access to capital to lock in long-term power contracts, the Energy Cooperative is vulnerable to the huge increases in power prices that the market has experienced as of late. Despite rising prices, big opportunities are still available. “We see a huge opportunity in developing the market for biodiesel,” says Nadia, “especially since we own our own production company.”

On October 4th, the Energy Cooperative received national recognition for its  Solar Buyback Program. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy presented the co-op with a Green Power Leadership Award for "Innovative Use of Renewable Energy Technology."

The Green Power Leadership Awards are given out each year to companies that demonstrate outstanding environmental leadership through their commitment to supply renewable power. The Co-op’s Solar Buyback Program was recognized as a unique model to help transform the marketplace—making renewable energy more cost-effective and more widely available.

Since January, 2003, The Energy Co-op’s solar buyback program has bought back more than 60,000kWh of solar power. This power is folded into the co-op's EcoChoice100SM electricity.

For more profiles of Renewable Energy business members of local BALLE networks, click on the links below:

Baltimore Biodiesel Cooperative, Baltimore, Maryland