Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative

09/02/2026

Germantown Info Hub and Next City put out two great and connected pieces about keeping neighbors fed.

First, how community fridges have evolved since the pandemic and then farming Germantowners sharing their harvest.

Across the city, a network of at least 40 fridges is scaling up to meet growing food insecurity — even as federal benefit cuts and vanishing grants make the work harder.

09/02/2026

Delayed state test scores delaying the application process for selective aka magnet schools in Philly. Update from Chalkbeat Philadelphia

Delayed PSSA and Keystone results are now affecting Philly’s selective schools admissions timeline. The district has pushed the start of the application window back into October.

09/01/2026

This was a much more detailed reporting of this change in policy than we have seen elsewhere. Thanks to Technical.ly

Stricter environmental rules, revoked fast-track permits and mandatory grid infrastructure payments could shift site selection across the state.

09/01/2026

This makes so much sense. Especially since the amazing variety of services available at libraries these days. Thanks Next City

Op-ed: Public libraries are already helping people rebuild after incarceration. Cities should connect them to reentry services — and fund them for the work.

09/01/2026

08/27/2026

What an amazing organization. Thanks for the details Philadelphia Gay News on their new home under construction.

A transformation is officially underway at 1206 Chestnut St — the site of The Attic Youth Center’s future home.

08/27/2026

Appreciate this story from The Chestnut Hill Local on proposal for Pa. to adopt law like in Delaware. Wonder if this would have been much easier to pass before e-bikes became so prevalent.

State Sen. Jarrett Coleman, a Republican representing parts of Bucks and Lehigh counties, has introduced a bill that would allow bicyclists across Pennsylvania to treat red lights and stop signs as yields.

08/26/2026

This WHYY story does a good job of showing how Philly is still adjusting to providing shelter from extreme heat. How the city is far better prepared for Code Blue in the winter.

In an open letter, a coalition of homeless people, advocates and service providers called for a heat response similar to how the city handles cold.

08/25/2026

Have you heard about virtual power plants? We hadn't either. They "find" energy already being produced by plants online. Learn about it from Grid Magazine and how that might fit into today's pressure for new generation capacity with all the energy being consumed by data centers.

Along the wide and scenic Susquehanna River near Harrisburg, Microsoft is reviving the nuclear power plant Three Mile Island. Infamous for the 1979 partial meltdown of one of its two reactors, it has been idle since 2019. But last year, Microsoft announced a deal with plant owner Constellation Energy to bring the nuclear facility’s remaining reactor back online and provide 835 megawatts of energy to help power its AI ambitions.

In some ways, this atomic handshake looks like the most palatable option for adding new energy onto an electric grid that sorely needs it. As increased demand from data centers and electrification outpaces energy supply, utility bills are on the rise and blackouts are more likely.

PJM Interconnection, a regional grid operator whose territory stretches from Chicago to Philadelphia to North Carolina, is warning of unprecedented electricity scarcity in the years ahead.

In many places across PJM’s 13-state territory, industry and officials are rushing to cover the gap with natural gas. In rural West Virginia, Microsoft is planning to power a 1.4-gigawatt data center by using hundreds of small natural gas-powered generators. Some analysts estimate the opening of the campus will cause the company’s greenhouse gas emissions to rise as much as 44%.

From an environmental perspective, Three Mile Island’s carbon-free footprint looks preferable, but it’s not as clear cut economically. The public could still bear the costs of new infrastructure required to plug the plant back into the grid through increased electricity costs. Nearby residents will also have to grapple with the plant’s considerable impact on local water resources and its demonstrated potential for nuclear meltdown.

Is there a smarter option? Indeed there is, says Michael Zimmerman, director and senior attorney of clean affordable power at the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund.

➡️ Read the full story at https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2026/08/01/pennsylvania-could-save-consumers-money-with-a-smarter-energy-grid/

✍️ Kyle Bagenstose
📸 Photo courtesy of The Office of Rep. Fiedler

08/24/2026

Sharing this great collaboration by 2PuntosPlatform and Metro Philly about how challenging mental health is right now for Latinos and Latinas in Philly, and places working to make language accessible help available.