SEPTA was awarded the highest statewide honor bestowed upon businesses and organizations for environmental performance.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection hands out the Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence annually to recognize the best in environmental innovation and expertise.
"SEPTA is proud to receive this award, which recognizes an effort that is a major part of our overall sustainability program," said SEPTA Board Chairman Pasquale T. Deon Sr.
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SEPTA was rewarded for an innovative system to capture, store and reuse the energy generated by braking trains at the Griscom Substation on the Market-Frankford Line.
"The award recognizes practical solutions to Pennsylvania's toughest environmental challenges, and SEPTA's wayside energy initiative is just that - a practical solution that uses cutting-edge technology with a bottom-line oriented approach to the reduction of energy consumption," said Carol F. McCabe, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council.
SEPTA formally adopted its sustainability program in January 2011.