On Earth Day, protesters call on Mayor Parker to denounce PGW and gas lobby efforts to upend green energy

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Local climate activists are calling on Mayor Cherelle Parker to condemn Philadelphia Gas Works’ financial support to an industry group that lobbied to pull the plug on clean energy funding.

The American Public Gas Association wrote to the Trump administration, calling on the federal government to “review” funding for clean energy projects such as home and building electrification, WHYY’s reporting revealed.

PGW, a city-owned natural gas utility, pays tens of thousands of dollars in dues to the American Public Gas Association every year.

On Earth Day, about 40 to 50 protesters gathered outside Philadelphia City Hall, demanding Parker and members of City Council scrutinize the spending.

“Mayor Parker needs to speak up on this issue, because Philadelphians are feeling the heat, and they’re feeling the impact of the climate emergency and from Trump’s cuts to our communities, and PGW should not be supporting the gas lobby that is effectively supporting the cuts,” said Patrick Houston of the HERE 4 Climate Justice Coalition, which organized the rally.

PGW and Parker did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but PGW previously told WHYY News it was unaware of the lobbying efforts.

While the protest took place, Parker promoted green buildings at an Earth Day event at the Navy Yard, where 4,000 new apartment units are all electric, meaning they will not use natural gas for heat or cooking.

The environmental activists are also calling on the Parker administration to require PGW to phase out natural gas by 2050.

Last year, Parker announced a strategy to alleviate energy poverty, which in part includes the use of electricity to heat and cool buildings. The initiative is part of the city’s commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions over the next 25 years.

Protesters said they are concerned that funding cuts could hurt Philadelphia residents. The city and state are at risk of losing $700 million in federal funding approved by the Biden administration to reduce climate-warming emissions.

“We’re concerned that this lobbying could effectively lock places like Philadelphia into more gas use,” Houston said. “That’s a problem, because we know that gas worsens our indoor air pollution, we know it heats our climate, we know that increasingly gas could be unaffordable for low-income households as more and more people opt to move to cleaner, more sustainable energy.”

Some protesters said they are appalled that as PGW ratepayers, their dollars are used to support the gas lobby.

“As a PGW customer, and as a physician who cares about the climate, I’m really pissed that we are actually spending my rate payer money to support the American Public Gas Association, to do this lobby against the very things that the mayor [is doing] to make us the greenest city in America,” said Walter Tsou, a protester and member of the Physicians for Social Responsibility.

Philadelphia resident Melissa Ostroff said she has experienced chronic gas leaks over the past few years. Ostroff, who is also an advocate for the environmental group Earthworks, said she’s fearful an explosion could occur, and is concerned about being exposed to benzene, a carcinogen.

“To find out that PGW is actively lobbying against moving towards a cleaner and greener future when they’re a publicly-owned gas utility and they have a serious problem with gas leaks was deeply concerning to me,” she said.

The American Public Gas Association’s letter aligns with the gas industry’s efforts to support President Donald Trump’s promise to expand fossil fuel production.

Climate activist Jim Wiley of West Chester said it’s crucial that people who care about the environment take a stand against the Trump administration’s agenda to halt initiatives that aim to reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuels.

“If we don’t stand up, then they will just encroach more and more on the city’s right to transition to a clean energy future,” he said.