FY2025 Work Program

Provide leadership to the region on equitable decarbonization initiatives through energy conservation, energy efficiency, electrification of buildings and vehicles, and the switch to low or no-carbon energy sources. Provide leadership to the region on preparing for the impacts of climate change by building and maintaining resilient infrastructure systems and by insuring that the needs of disadvantaged communities and vulnerable populations are prioritized in plans, programs, and investments to increase resiliency. This program supports the goals of Connections 2050, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

This program supports PennDOT's MPO Planning Priorities by evaluating greenhouse gas emissions in the MPO region and assisting in implementing Pennsylvania’s Climate Change Action Plan; by working with PennDOT, FHWA and FTA to implement performance measures and targets; by identifying livability, sustainability, and resiliency planning strategies to tie the quality and location of transportation facilities and services to broader opportunities; and by utilizing PennDOT’s Extreme Weather Vulnerability Assessment to incorporate flooding resiliency into TIP projects, enhance hazard mitigation, and improve emergency preparedness.

This program supports NJDOT's MPO Planning Priorities of promoting interagency cooperation by developing and integrating performance measures and targets necessary to meet federal performance requirements for the NHS in accordance with FHWA TPM requirements; by working with NJDOT and other partners on improving the resilience of transportation infrastructure against the impacts of extreme weather; by working with partners to recommend projects that can utilize new funding opportunities in the recently enacted federal transportation legislation to minimize climate risks; and by participating in the development of a carbon reduction program strategy to reduce transportation emissions.

This program also supports the goals of the State of New Jersey’s Global Warming Response Act (2007) of reducing GHG emissions by 80 percent of 2006 levels by 2050, Pennsylvania’s 2018 Climate Change Action Plan, and the energy use, GHG emissions, and regional resilience goals in Connections 2050.

Staff will analyze data and develop strategies to equitably reduce greenhouse gas emissions by promoting greater energy efficiency, energy conservation, the electrification of buildings and vehicles, benchmarking and building performance standards, and the use of cleaner energy. Presently, the energy system in the region and the country as a whole is undergoing a profound transformation, with increased private and public investment in energy efficiency and conservation, the electrification of buildings and vehicles, and in zero-carbon, renewable, and lower-carbon energy sources. Staff will build on these changes, and major recent funding awards to DVRPC from EPA, NREL, U.S. DOE, and the William Penn Foundation for energy transition work, to accelerate decarbonization at the regional and local scale.

Staff will help to prepare the region for the ongoing and anticipated impacts of climate change on the built and natural environment by providing technical assistance and leadership to municipal, county, regional, and state partners to develop policies and practices that respond to the ongoing and projected impacts of climate change. The project will work with partners and engage community based organizations to understand and prioritize the intersectional challenges climate change poses for low income and disadvantaged communities. The project will also complement on-going work under a William Penn Foundation grant that will conduct a landscape assessment to better understand how DVRPC can best utilize its resources to meet the needs and challenges of new and existing partners with regard to the impacts of climate change.

Staff will support municipal, county, regional, state agencies and officials in developing policies and practices to reduce energy use and GHG emissions in their activities and operations, while providing baseline data at the regional scale that can be used to track progress toward meeting regional GHG reduction goals.

Staff will provide support for the implementation of USDOT’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Transportation Performance Measure and IIJA's Carbon Reduction Program.

Staff will represent DVRPC at appropriate policy venues, including PA and NJ state committees/meetings, the NJ Climate Change Alliance, the NJ Coastal Resilience Collaborative, DRBC’s Advisory Committee on Climate Change, the Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation (MACH) Hub Collaborative Stakeholder Advisory Panel (CSAP), the U.S. DOE SolSmart Technical Advisory Panel, and the Sustainable Jersey Clean Energy and Climate Adaptation Task Forces. Regional coordination that strengthens relationships among state, regional, county, and municipal officials, as well as with other key stakeholders, including transit authorities, utilities, businesses, institutions, and non-profit organizations will be ongoing.

Staff will manage the Regional Streetlight Procurement Program (RSLPP), including management of Round 3, 4 and 5 municipalities (21 towns) through construction and post-construction operation and maintenance service.

Staff will serve as Board Coordinator and continue overall facilitation of the Sustainable Energy Partnership of Southeastern Pennsylvania, a partnership of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties to explore opportunities for aggregate procurement of electricity and renewable energy for county operations. The Partnership may expand to include additional parties, such as municipalities and schools, to which DVRPC will also provide support.

Staff will investigate additional aggregate regional procurement opportunities around energy and climate change. Examples may include the development of a Regional Electric Vehicle Program or a Regional Energy Manager Program. This work may require technical consultant(s) services.

Completion of tasks outlined in the mega program may require the purchase of equipment and services.

Member governments; state and federal agencies; transit authorities; municipal officials; nonprofits; and citizens.