Aqua Pennsylvania Chairman Joined By Governor Corbett To Cut Ribbon At Largest Water Treatment Plant Solar Farm

“I want to commend Governor Corbett for his energy policy, which has helped Pennsylvania to continue to be an energy-producing state by supporting the solar projects like the one we are here to celebrate today as well as the safe development of natural gas, which will help reduce our dependence on Middle East for petroleum. Aqua is preparing to turn its fleet from gasoline to compressed natural gas, or CNG, and has one vehicle already in service with plans to add others later this year,” said DeBenedictis.

The Pickering solar farm is the company’s latest installation—having built a 1.0 MW, 4.5-acre facility at its Ingram’s Mill treatment plant in East Bradford Township in 2009 that serves 25,000 West Chester area residents. The Ingram’s Mill solar farm has reduced grid-tied usage by 1.3 million kilowatt-hours during the past 12 months resulting in a direct economic benefit of $130,000 annually in energy savings.

The annual environmental benefits of the new facility are that it:

• Avoids the equivalent of 51,450 gallons of gasoline, thereby reducing CO ₂ emissions by 4.3 million pounds each year which is the equivalent emissions from 380 passenger cars; or
• offsets the equivalent need for 1,400 barrels of oil each year

“The public drinking water business was created out of concern for the environment and public health so it makes perfect sense to have a sustainable clean energy sources to power our water treatment plants. These projects will return great economic and environmental dividends to Pennsylvania and increase the Commonwealth’s energy diversity,” DeBenedictis said.

Aqua Pennsylvania serves approximately 1.4 million residents in 30 counties throughout Pennsylvania with more than one million in southeastern Pennsylvania.

WTRG

Copyright Business Wire 2010

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