Shapiro aims for 50% solar power usage at state agencies by 2027
HARRISBURG — At least half of the electricity needed to power 16 state government agencies will come from the sun within one to three years, making Pennsylvania the first state in the nation to achieve such a clean energy threshold.
Standing beside a recently constructed solar array in West Manchester Township, York County, on Monday under sunny skies, Gov. Josh Shapiro said this array along with nine others will provide “more reliable, affordable electricity for the commonwealth and fewer carbon emissions contributing to directly to climate change.”
He said: “We are leading the nation on this — investing in clean energy technology, growing our economy, creating jobs, lowering costs, and protecting our planet all at the same time. I think this is something we should be proud of, something we should build on so we can accomplish even more on an even larger scale all across Pennsylvania.”
Working with the commonwealth’s energy supplier Constellation, he said this so-called Project to Utilize Light and Solar Energy (PA PULSE) provides for the state to enter into a purchase power agreement that will lock in a currently competitive rate for electricity, producing savings for taxpayers.
According to General Services, that rate will be locked in at $0.085 to $0.095 per kilowatt hour depending on the utility zone in which the power is being delivered and those rates will hold fast for the next 15 years. For reference, the current retail “Price to Compare” for PPL residential customers who shop for electricity is $0.1103.
General Services Secretary Reggie McNeil said the 10 solar arrays — three already constructed, three others to be completed this year and the remainder soon after — will reduce carbon emissions by 157,800 metric tons or the equivalent of the CO2 emissions from 34,000 gas-powered cars. Along with York County, the solar farms will be located in Columbia, Juniata, Crawford, Northumberland and Snyder counties.
“The successful installation and launch of the first three solar farms during the first quarter of this year created over 200 union jobs and is a promising start toward our renewable energy goals,” Mr. McNeil said.
Once completed, the power generated from the 10 solar farms will generate 361,000 megawatt hours of electricity, roughly the equivalent needed to power 35,000 homes annually, Mr. Shapiro said.
Commenting afterward, André Béliveau, senior manager of energy policy for the conservative-leaning
Commonwealth Foundation in Harrisburg, was not enthused by the governor’s announcement.
“Taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for unreliable power, but that’s precisely what Governor Shapiro’s proposal would force us to do,” Mr. Béliveau said. “Solar power is an intermittent, ineffective energy source. It’s hamstrung by battery storage limitations and only works well when the sun shines. If you want a working government, ensuring it can keep the lights on should be a bare minimum requirement.”
But Alyssa Edwards, senior vice president of the solar site’s developer Lightsource bp, said at the news conference this initiative is a “shining example” of how public-private partnerships can help transition to a “a cleaner, healthier environment for our communities while laying on benefits through a deep commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.”
She said the solar panels on these sites are mounted on racking that sits atop posts leaving 90% of the ground underneath available to “plant grasses, flowers for pollinators and other vegetation that over time will provide a stable home for local wildlife.”
Some of the other sites will offer a combination of solar and agriculture through sheep grazing and beekeeping, Ms. Edwards said.