FILE - Nicholas Hartnett, owner of Pure Power Solar, carries a panel as he and Brian Hoeppner, right, install a solar array on the roof of a home in Frankfort, Ky., Monday, July 17, 2023. President Joe Biden has been careful not to declare an outright victory against inflation, but the White House says the cost savings from the Inflation Reduction Act are coming as the law is getting enacted. Tax credits will reduce the cost of installing rooftop solar panels by 30%, which will in turn lower monthly electricity bills. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
I report on energy and the environment for StateImpact Pennsylvania at WITF.
My work focuses on responses and solutions to climate change in the state legislature and communities around the state. I trace my interest in these issues back to my time as a Girl Scout and this episode of Rocko’s Modern Life.
I look forward to winter just for the chance to ski a few times each season. I try to keep myself from doom-scrolling on my phone by keeping my hands busy knitting and learning to play the piano.
I grew up in Cambria County, Pa. and graduated from Temple University. I started at WITF just after Christmas in 2014.
FILE - Nicholas Hartnett, owner of Pure Power Solar, carries a panel as he and Brian Hoeppner, right, install a solar array on the roof of a home in Frankfort, Ky., Monday, July 17, 2023. President Joe Biden has been careful not to declare an outright victory against inflation, but the White House says the cost savings from the Inflation Reduction Act are coming as the law is getting enacted. Tax credits will reduce the cost of installing rooftop solar panels by 30%, which will in turn lower monthly electricity bills. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
Even before federal funding freezes threw Pennsylvania programs into confusion, one initiative to lower energy bills through solar power had been stalled.
The Pennsylvania General Assembly must pass a new law to authorize a state agency to spend the $156 million it was awarded last year through the Biden Administration’s Solar for All program.
But some state lawmakers are questioning whether spending the money now is a good use of taxpayer dollars, even though the money is under contract.
Supporters of Solar for All say it is an unprecedented investment in climate action that will help reduce air pollution, lower energy costs and create jobs.
The program is designed to benefit communities that the Environmental Protection Agency has defined as low income and that also experience at least one other environmental, economic, or health burden, such as a high level of air pollution or an increased flood risk.
“Low income households have been disproportionately left out of our country’s clean energy transition thus far,” said Robert Routh, Pennsylvania policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
“ This is a population that has long lived with the wide ranging and detrimental effects of environmental injustice, whether that’s high levels of air pollution, water contamination or proximate siting of industrial facilities,” Routh said.
In Lancaster County, maps created during the Biden Administration show census tracts in Lancaster city, Manheim and Columbia boroughs and Paradise and Leacock townships would be eligible.
Low-to-moderate income households outside of the designated census tracts will also be eligible, though state program details are not yet public.
Pennsylvania plans to use its share of the money to install solar panels for up to 14,000 households statewide over a five-year period.
Allowing the program
Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler (D-Philadelphia) is sponsoring House Bill 362, which would authorize Solar for All in Pennsylvania.
Fiedler said the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority signed a contract with EPA in January. PEDA should be able to draw down funds as soon as the legislature approves the program.
At a hearing on H.B. 362 in the House Energy Committee last month, Rep. Dallas Kephart (R-Clearfield) asked testifiers if the program is fiscally responsible. He said the state already generates a lot of electricity.
“In my district, we got coal, we got natural gas. It’s great. In fact, instead of spending taxpayer money, it actually generates taxpayer money,” Kephart said.
Justin Mason, director of programs and operations for the Pennsylvania Conservative Energy Forum said, Solar for All is responsible.
“When you put solar on your home, it is fiscal responsibility in the sense that you are alleviating your first cost of home operations. Whether you’re a business or a home, if you want to turn the lights on, you’ve got to pay money,” Mason said.
Mason said he believes Solar for All will help lower energy burdens in the face of rising electricity bills.
Rep. Jamie Barton (R-Schuylkill) questioned solar energy’s role in electricity production.
“Why in heaven’s name would we continue to invest taxpayer dollars – whether it’s state or federal – why would we invest in unreliable energy sources?” Barton said.
Emily Schapira, president of the Philadelphia Solar Authority, said that solar is variable power that’s very reliable when the sun is shining.
She said the region’s electric grid operator, PJM, has long avoided picking winners.
“And so they didn’t really think about the mix that you need to have a reliable and efficient grid,” Schapira said.
She said research now shows that solar and natural gas complement each other well. New solar arrays can be built faster than a traditional power plant and help grids plan for peak demand.
“I think it’s just a universe where we have to all work together. It’s no longer one against the other,” Schapira said.
Sometimes, your mornings are just too busy to catch the news beyond a headline or two. Don’t worry. The Morning Agenda has got your back. Each weekday morning, The Morning Agenda will keep you informed, amused, enlightened and up-to-date on what’s happening in central Pennsylvania and the rest of this great commonwealth.
