As of Jan. 28, Allegheny County has entered into a 35-year power purchase agreement with a company that will provide renewable hydropower for county facilities..
Tribune-Review file
Water flows through the Emsworth Lock and Dam along the Ohio River in this file photo. A planned hydropower plant will supply the electricity used in Allegheny County buildings, the county announced Thursday.
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The power used by the Allegheny County Courthouse, jail and other government buildings will be generated by hydroelectric energy harnessed from the Emsworth Lock and Dam, county Executive Rich Fitzgerald said Thursday.
Fitzgerald was joined by Paul Jacob, CEO of Boston-based Rye Development, which has an office in Downtown Pittsburgh, and other officials as they celebrated a milestone toward using more climate-friendly energy sources.
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald announces commitment to locally-generated renewable energy Share Updated: 4:31 PM EST Jan 28, 2021 WTAE Share Updated: 4:31 PM EST Jan 28, 2021 County Executive Rich Fitzgerald announced an investment by Allegheny County in locally-generated clean energy Thursday afternoon. The county has entered into a 35-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Rye Development to purchase renewable energy generated by a 17.8 MW low-impact hydropower facility Rye will construct on the Ohio River.For each year that the agreement is in effect, the county will offset emissions equivalent to the entire electrical consumption of over 3,400 households. Over the life of the agreement, the county’s purchases will offset over 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions, roughly equal to 2.6 billion miles driven in a typical passenger vehicle.“This is a landmark day for our county,” said Fitzgerald. �