July 6, 2018 (Harrisburg, PA) – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) released today the
Finding Pennsylvania’s Solar Future report for public comment, of which PennFuture is playing a critical role in creating through stakeholder meetings and more. This report documents strategies Pennsylvania could implement to generate 10 percent of its electricity from in-state solar power by 2030.
Pennsylvania’s current in-state solar goal is one half of one percent by 2021, signifying that this plan represents a large increase that would spur carbon reductions and support the Commonwealth’s burgeoning solar industry.
“PennFuture is proud to be a part of a process involving citizens from all walks of life. This important process and plan will lead to less reliance on dirty fossil fuels and more reliance on clean renewable energy across the Commonwealth. Pennsylvania must do more to ensure increases in solar jobs, solar installations, and greater use of energy sources that will not impact our environment and health in detrimental ways,” said Jacquelyn Bonomo, President and CEO, PennFuture.
The report is the product of a multi-year project in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Environmental Protection. Nearly 500 stakeholders from the solar industry, utilities, academia, environmental groups, and all levels of government provided their time and expertise to craft options for spurring solar growth in Pennsylvania in the coming decades.
PennFuture and a team of economic analysts and national experts led this effort, and the report has gone through external academic review.
“We want to hear from the general public about their feedback on this report; from those who have gone through the process of installing solar on their homes, to small businesses supporting the solar industry, or even those who still have questions about solar technologies. All comments are welcome,” said Director of PennFuture’s Energy Center Rob Altenburg.
In addition to technical comments, the team also strives to hear which strategies the public thinks would be most helpful in supporting a move to increased solar generation. If there are questions and concerns with a particular strategy, the project team would like to hear feedback on this as well.
“After all comments are received, we will prepare a comment and response document to answer these questions,” Altenburg said.
While the report is now released for public comment, this project isn’t over. The team is now working on a Strategy Support and Market Transformation Plan that will provide more details on implementing the selected strategies.
PennFuture is leading the transition to a clean energy economy in Pennsylvania and beyond. We are protecting our air, water and land, and empowering citizens to build sustainable communities for future generations. For more information, visit www.pennfuture.org.
Contact:
Stephanie Rex
Director of Communications
PennFuture
412.463.2942