In 2018, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission completed a regional energy use and greenhouse gas emissions inventory for the nine-county DVRPC region. As part of this inventory, DVRPC allocated both energy use and greenhouse gas emissions to individual counties and municipalities based on 2015 data. Please note that not all sectors were allocated to the municipal level, including aviation, freight rail, and intercity rail. The chart on page 20 of the Methods and Sources document indicates which sectors are allocated to the municipal level, and a general assessment of the quality of that allocation. This report gathers the municipally allocated energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy expenditure information for West Chester Borough in an easy-to-read document intended to support local decision-making.
This report is meant to serve as a starting point for municipal policy-making. More detailed local analysis can improve on this inventory and reveal particular opportunities for efficiency improvements and emission reductions in both the public and private sector. DVRPC's Office of Climate and Environment can provide additional guidance and assistance in performing this local analysis. This report will be updated with new data upon completion of DVRPC's energy use and emissions inventory for 2020.
West Chester Borough is classified by DVRPC as a Developed Community. A Developed Community is characterized by stability of population and employment growth. Examples include inner ring communities adjacent to core cities, railroad boroughs or trolley car communities, and mature suburban townships.
In 2015, 19,842 people lived in West Chester Borough, comprising 6,700 households. The median household income in West Chester Borough was $50,900, and 11,400 jobs were located in West Chester Borough.
DVRPC estimates that West Chester Borough consumed 2,230 billion BTUs (BBTUs) of energy in stationary (e.g., home heating) and mobile (e.g., automobile travel) applications. The total cost of the energy used in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors and for on-road vehicle travel is estimated to be $43,200,000. Combustion of fuels to produce the energy consumed in West Chester Borough, in combination with non-energy sources of greenhouse gases, resulted in the release of 185,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent (MTCO2e). Of sectors for which data is available and able to be allocated to the municipal level, the commercial and industrial sector consumed the most energy, consuming 1,020 BBTUs of energy. The commercial and industrial sector also produced the most emissions, emitting 86,800 MTCO2e. Energy use, energy expenditures, and GHG emissions by sector are shown in the three bar graphs below.
For the combined commercial and industry sector, electricity provided the most used energy in terms of BTUs consumed. Commercial and industrial facilities consumed 152,000,000 kWhs or 519 BBTUs of electricity. Electricity was the largest source of West Chester Borough's GHG emissions by the combined commercial and industrial sector, resulting in 57,900 MTCO2e. of emissions. Of energy sources for which price data was available, electricity consumption resulted in the highest energy expenditures, costing users $12,800,000.
Vehicles of all kinds, including private passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and public transit vehicles, also contribute to energy usage and GHG emissions in West Chester Borough. Motor gasoline provided the most energy. Motor vehicles with trips either starting or ending in West Chester Borough* consumed 4,270,000 gallons of motor gasoline, containing 515 BBTUs of energy. This consumption cost users an estimated $14,400,000. Altogether, emissions related to mobile energy use from all sources attributed to West Chester Borough amounted to 53,100 MTCO2e. from all sources. Note that the electricity use for transportation is an allocated amount of electricity use for rail, not for electric cars.
*Half of each trip originating or terminating in West Chester Borough was allocated to West Chester Borough. The remainder was allocated to the municipality at the other end of each trip.