The City of Philadelphia has initiated a new dawn of energy use with the completion of the Adams Solar project, now fuelling a significant portion of its municipal electricity needs with sun power. Announced by city officials, the sprawling 700-acre solar farm nestled near Gettysburg is ready to churn out a substantial 70 megawatts (MW) of clean juice from its 230,000 solar panels, as reported on the official city website.

Sealing the deal back in 2018 through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), which practically shackles the city with Energix Renewables for a tidy 20 years, Philadelphia is betting on fixed, and supposedly wallet-friendly, rates for its green energy crusade. Philadelphia Energy Authority (PEA) whispered details of the long haul engagement, which pegs the rate right alongside the price of conventional electricity prices over the past three years.

With an eye on the future and the cash savings to boot, the City is not resting on its laurels, as it has boldly issued a Request for Proposals to buy even more juice from renewable sources. The Admas Solar hook-up is projected to shave bucks off the city’s energy bills over two decades as traditional energy costs are expected to surge, the city's announcement stated.

But the Adams Solar initiative ain't just about keeping the lights on and saving pennies, it's set to beef up the city’s eco-credentials. According to officials, plunging into the renewable realm via projects like Adams Solar will propel the City of Brotherly Love to reach nearly 30 percent renewable electricity in their mix, and drive them nearer to their 2030 goal of using 100 percent renewable electricity for municipal operations, and let's not forget the grand plan of carbon neutrality by 2050.

Don't reckon it's all about watt counts and emissions slideshows, though. The Adams Solar project has reportedly cranked up the local job market, laying out a training field for 1,070 direct jobs through its design and construction phase. It also plugged eager trainees from PEA’s Green Retrofit Immersive Training Program (GRIT) right into the Energix project team, buffing up their skills on the solar frontline, according to the city's latest release.