Author: RiverAdmin
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A Year of Firsts
By Selina Pedi-Smith As 2024 draws to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on a year filled with challenges, milestones, and plenty of lessons learned. At Pellere, this year has been a whirlwind of firsts: our first federal grant award, our first agency partnership, the launch of our first ambitious microgrid project, and our first… Read more
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The Work of Change: Progress, Possibility, and What Comes Next
Selina Pedi-Smith with Isaias Gomez, Pellere Foundation When you’re deep in the cleanup of a long-neglected house, you learn to see progress in small victories—another wall stripped to the studs, another load of debris hauled away, a little light breaking through where there used to be none. For Isaias Gomez, who’s been hard at work… Read more
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Turning Blight into Bright: How Restoring Homes Revitalizes Communities Turning Blight into Bright
You probably see them every day. They’re in every town, sometimes on almost every street. The houses with peeling paint, sagging roofs, and yards where the weeds have taken over. They’re hard to miss, and if we’re being honest, they can feel like a thorn in the side of an otherwise beautiful street, but here’s… Read more
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Breathing New Life into 403 W 2nd St: Pellere Foundation’s First Blight Remediation Project
By Selina Pedi-Smith The Pellere Foundation is thrilled to announce the beginning of our first blight remediation project at 403 W 2nd St, a once-stunning Victorian home in the heart of Oil City. This property, generously donated by Sadie McLaughlin and her brother Ian McLaughlin, represents both a challenge and an opportunity—a chance to breathe… Read more
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A Different Kind of Redevelopment: Hope in the Wake of Hurricane Helene
The floodwaters had receded, but the scars they left behind were everywhere. Mounds of black garbage bags lined the roads, filled with remnants of lives once lived—family photos, graduation gowns, children’s toys. Broken trees and shattered belongings formed endless piles, each one whispering a story of loss. Our team of 26 volunteers from multiple churches… Read more
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Green Hydrogen Storage
Let’s dive into one more energy storage option that could be a great fit for the Oil Region: green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is made through a process called electrolysis, where electricity is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can then be stored and used later in fuel cells. When green hydrogen… Read more
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Future of the Lower Clarion River
Over the last few weeks, we’ve touched a little on the importance of environmental advocacy even with new green energy. Now let’s look at a real-life, local example of past environmental contamination and a new organization that seeks to care for and restore the watershed of the Lower Clarion River. Rob Bodenhorn, President, Watershed Association… Read more
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Innovative and Eco-Friendly Energy Storage Solutions
As Pennsylvania’s Oil Region and other areas with industrial legacies begin to shift focus to cleaner energy, the role of sustainable energy storage becomes crucial. As we’ve seen over the last two weeks, nickel-zinc batteries have emerged as a safer, recyclable alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries, showcasing how new technologies can support grid stability, local… Read more
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Powering Progress: Cleaner Energy Storage Solutions for a Greener Future
Last week, we heard from Caleb Dawson of Advanced Power & Energy on the cleaner, safer, and more reliable energy storage solution found in nickel-zinc batteries. Here in the Oil Region, we are surrounded by the beauty of both our landscapes and waterways. It’s something that we want to protect—to steward. And this area is… Read more
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Advanced Power & Energy: Nickel-Zinc Batteries
Over the last two weeks, we’ve reflected on Pennsylvania’s historical contribution to energy and how our Commonwealth can help lead the next energy revolution with new green energy technologies. We’ve covered the growth in the renewable energy job market, and last week, we looked at what these changes mean for local economies. Today, I want… Read more
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Pennsylvania Poised to Become an Energy Leader Again – Part 2
Selina Pedi-Smith with Guest Writer: Colin Russ of RAD Solar Last week, we discussed Pennsylvania’s proud energy history and how renewables are offering new opportunities. Let’s explore further why now is the time to embrace this shift. Recent developments in energy pricing highlight why moving toward renewables isn’t just a choice but a necessity. The… Read more
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Pennsylvania Poised to Become an Energy Leader Again – Part 1
Selina Pedi-Smith with Guest Writer: Colin Russ of RAD Solar Despite some uncertain weather conditions, we had a great turnout at the Bright Futures Fall Fest! Thank you to everyone who stopped by to learn more about our work, and for those who couldn’t make it, we invite you to join us at our next… Read more