In The News

PGW AND Temple University’s SBDC Select Latest Energy Start-Up Hydropore to Join Its Energy Innovation Lab

PHILADELPHIA (August 7, 2023) – Working together to advance creative breakthroughs in clean energy, Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) and Temple University’s Small Business Development Center (TU SBDC)  have announced that Hydropore has been chosen to join the 2023 Energy Innovation Lab cohort. The lab is a small business incubator designed to empower energy entrepreneurs whose product or service ideas have the potential to reimagine the future of the energy industry. PGW and TU SBDC created the incubator in 2021 to foster environmentally friendly concepts that meet the evolving energy needs of Philadelphia residents, underserved communities, and businesses.

At the pitch competition held August 3, 2023, Hydropore presented its winning energy concept of  developing hydrogen batteries that produce clean fuel to a panel of volunteer judges from leading Philadelphia energy, innovation, and start-up development organizations. Two additional companies – Haylon Technologies and LiTrans USA – also presented their energy solutions. Proposals were evaluated and ranked based on viability and alignment with PGW’s mission of enhancing the quality of life for all by delivering safe, reliable, and affordable energy in an environmentally responsible way.

Hydropore’s clean hydrogen production system is designed to “drop-in” to any customer site, to provide reliable fuel supply for the next generation of trucks, buses, planes, trains, and ships. Hydropore’s hydrogen-producing battery is unique in that it has a small footprint, runs on any type of water, and only consumes electricity when it is clean and most economical. By joining The Energy Innovation Lab, the year-old company, based in Philadelphia and founded by Mike Argosh and University of Pennsylvania Professor Dr. Eric Detsi, will receive hands-on training, mentoring, real-time feedback from PGW energy industry experts and TU SBDC business development consultants, as well as up to $30,000 in seed funding.

“We’re tremendously excited about the potential of Hydropore’s technology to impact the production and delivery of clean energy,” said Elliott Gold, Vice President of Corporate Planning at PGW. “When we launched The Energy Innovation Lab two years ago, we suspected that there was untapped talent in our great City for developing our future clean energy solutions. This fusion of Hydropore’s entrepreneurial creativity built upon strong Philadelphia-based university research, PGW’s energy industry expertise, and the SBDC’s business development support is the perfect example of the collaborative innovation we had in mind.”

The Energy Innovation Lab is an extension of PGW’s proactive commitments to expanding energy access and affordability, generating inclusive regional economic growth and leading Philadelphia’s clean energy future.

“We’re super excited to be able to collaborate with a partner like PGW,” said Mike Argosh, CEO of Hydropore. “Hopefully we can build together and team up on a zero emissions clean energy future.”

“The Temple University SBDC is dedicated to unleashing and encouraging the development and success of those locally based small businesses with big ideas that could make Philadelphia a cleaner, greener city,” said Howard Brown, Director of TU SBDC. “We have a wealth of entrepreneurial talent in the Philadelphia area. We are proud to offer opportunities to start-ups like Hydropore that will allow them to flourish.”

To learn more about the Energy Innovation Lab visit incubator.pgworks.com.

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PGW Offices Will Be Closed on July 4, In Honor of Independence Day

PHILADELPHIA (June 29, 2023) – Philadelphia Gas Works’ (PGW) offices and Customer Call Center will be closed in observance of Independence Day on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. PGW’s 24-hour Emergency Hotline will remain open for emergency calls. All odor calls or gas-related emergencies should be reported immediately by calling 215-235-1212.

PGW offices and Customer Call Center will resume regular business hours on Wednesday, July 5, 2023.

Customers who need to access account information or pay their bill online can log into their PGW My Account, pay by phone at 215-235-1000, or make cash payments in person at hundreds of local retailers, including Walmart, CVS, Dollar General, Family Dollar, 7-Eleven, Speedway, Rite Aid, and Walgreens. For information, visit pgworks.com/customer-care/your-home/ways-to-pay. 

PGW wishes our customers, employees, and residents of Philadelphia a safe and enjoyable Independence Day. We are proud to serve the city that is the birthplace of our nation. To be safe if grilling, always supervise the grill when in use and keep it out in the open, away from anything that could catch fire.

Philadelphia’s 2023 Wawa Welcome America Festival goes through Tuesday, July 4, encompassing 16 days of free multicultural and multigenerational, diverse, and inclusive events.   

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PGW Awarded a $10 Million Federal Grant for Infrastructure Safety

Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aids in accelerating PGW’s Main Replacement Program and allows PGW to install new natural gas pipelines to improve safety and service reliability

Philadelphia, Pa (June 27, 2023) – Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) has been provisionally awarded a $10 million Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization (NGDISM) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), established by President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

PGW is installing modern, durable (polyethylene) plastic natural gas lines to increase safety and enhance natural gas service reliability. Replacing aging cast iron pipes with material that does not rust or corrode and that eliminates methane escape will help PGW meet its 2050 goal of reducing methane emissions by 80 percent.

“We are grateful to PHMSA for their commitment to improving natural gas safety and service for Philadelphia residents,” said Joseph Hawkinson, Vice President of Field Operations at PGW. “This PHMSA grant will be used to install several miles of new natural gas pipelines that make operations safer for our communities as well as our employees and contributes to the shared climate goals of PGW and the City.”

Each year, PGW installs more than 30 miles of natural gas lines, and with each mile of new main, emissions are virtually eliminated. The PHMSA funding contributes to PGW’s expected goal of completing the replacement of its cast iron pipelines by 2058.

The PHMSA NGDISM grant program helps improve public safety, protect public health, and reduce methane emissions from natural gas distribution pipes. The grant provides nearly $1 billion in funding over five years to modernize municipally- and community-owned natural gas distribution systems, like PGW, helping to keep communities across the country safe from pipeline leaks.

For information on the NGDISM grant program https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/news/biden-harris-administration-announces-historic-funding-37-projects-improve-safety-fix-old

For information on PGW’S pipeline improvements, go to pgworks.com/pipeline-map/

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