Origin of Chapters
The Clean Energy Co-op started in northeast Pennsylvania with the Cooperage Project in 2015. A couple of people from Philadelphia, in southeast Pennsylvania, joined and invested in projects up in the northeast in 2018. Then in 2021 some people from Havertown, near Philadelphia, decided to identify projects in the southeast part of the state and worked with the board to create a new entity called the Southeastern Chapter. Other chapters could be formed in other parts of the state if an interested group of people come forward.
Chapters have their own board of directors and a representative on the main coop’s board. Members of each chapter are also members of the main coop.
Southeastern Chapter
The Southeastern Chapter is focused on the five county region including Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks and Chester counties. This chapter was established in March 2021. Leadership positions include: Chapter chair, Joy Baxter; Chapter Secretary, Brent Groce; Chapter Treasurer, Peter Patton; and Chapter Board representative, Marion Biddle.
Chapter Chair: Joy Baxter
Joy is a full-time volunteer implementing climate solutions in her Haverford Township community, local and wider Lutheran church, and the Clean Energy Co-op. She grew up in Florida, earned degrees in Chemical Engineering and Violin Performance at Northwestern University, and went on to earn a Ph. D in Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). While there, Joy met her husband who does basic research on solar cells. Their home has had a solar installation for over ten years. During the pandemic, Joy became passionate about helping nonprofit organizations go solar. In addition, she loves to spend time with her family: playing games and traveling. She continues to play violin as concertmaster of the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra.
Chapter Treasurer: Peter Patton
Peter is a retired lawyer. For some thirty years, he represented injured workers in products liability cases. His other work experience has included a variety of jobs from dog walker in Chicago to ranch hand in Wyoming to newspaper reporter in Alameda, California. He and his spouse live in Havertown and enjoy birding and nature there. He is learning the blues harmonica and likes to listen to WBGO. He is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of California — Berkeley Law School.
Chapter Secretary: Brent Groce
Brent started out on a conventional career path with mechanical engineering and graduate business degrees. After years as a telecom product manager, that path morphed into stints as an inner city math teacher, co-founder of an economic development non-profit in Uganda, furniture maker, and then a turn to sustainability and renewable energy. Most recently he worked in various capacities at a Philadelphia-based solar installer. He holds a NABCEP PV Installation Professional certification.
Chapter Representative: Marion Biddle
Marion is passionate about solar energy and electric vehicles. For 29 years, Marion worked for the City of Philadelphia; beginning in the Recycling Office and ending as the IT Director for the Streets Department. Marion left the city in November of 2016 to follow her passion for solar energy and alternative fuels, initially stepping up to join the board of the Northwest Philly Solar Co-op. She is now an active participant with Solarize Southeast PA a part time employee with Green Bridge Energy. She has been a long time Pennsylvania resident living in Berwyn, Havertown, Philadelphia, and briefly in New Derry. She received an undergraduate degree from Harvard University, an electricians license in West Virginia, and a Masters In Education from Temple University and taught high school science for two years before working for the City of Philadelphia.
Marion is serving through 2024