Gov. Tom Wolf recognized SEPTA and 17 other organizations for their efforts in environmental protection. Those recognized were given the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence.

SEPTA’s recognition comes thanks to the Griscom Wayside Energy Storage System installed on the Market-Frankford Line. This is the second system that has been installed, the the idea was introduced in 2012. The system is essentially a battery which collects regenerative energy created by braking trains. This recycled energy is used to reduce energy consumption and save money.

Energy collected by the system is also sold back into the city’s electrical grid to help maintain system equilibrium.

The first battery was installed at the Letterly Substation in Kensington as a pilot project. Since then, SEPTA added the second battery at the Griscom Substation which is why it is being recognized this year. 

There are now plans to build seven more storage batteries along the Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines in 2016. According to SEPTA, both batteries are able to store up to 10.55 MW of energy which they say is enough to power a home for a year “or 10,000 homes for a month.”

The Governor’s Award is awarded every year to schools, businesses, government agencies and others who complete projects to “promote environmental stewardship and economic development.”

Other near-by counties recognized for their environmental efforts:

Delaware

• Pennsylvania Resources Council & Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative – Darby Cobbs Stormwater Initiative: Getting to the New Normal: The Pennsylvania Resources Council and the Eastern Delaware Stormwater Collaborative partnered to educate the residents of the Darby and Cobbs creeks watersheds on rain gardens and the best practices for stormwater management.​

Montgomery

• SBM Site Services (in collaboration with Jones Lange LaSalle & Sustainable Waste Solutions) – Food Waste Composting Program Re-engineering: SBM Site Services re-engineered waste composting programs at two locations in order to keep 70.76 tons of food waste out of landfills.