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StateImpact Pennsylvania

Rachel McDevitt APRIL 10, 2023

Lawmakers are trying to give people more options when it comes to buying solar energy.

Pennsylvania law allows for small, rooftop solar projects and large, utility-scale projects–but not for those that fall in-between.

State Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-Monroe) is sponsoring a measure to lift a ban on community solar projects.

“This gives the ability for households or renters to have that option to utilize solar and get some financial benefits from it as well,” Brown said.

Related Stories

• Community solar proposal getting bipartisan support in legislature
• Solar companies are eyeing Pa. farmland. A legislative agency is looking at ways communities can prepare

Community solar increases access for people who can’t install their own panels, either because of cost, a shaded roof, or living in a rental. They let people subscribe directly to an offsite solar project and get credit on their electricity bill for the extra power produced by the panels.

Similar bills have had bipartisan support over the years, but have never made it to the governor’s desk.

In previous debates, lawmakers have expressed concern that community solar customers would cost utility companies and threaten grid maintenance.

PJM coordinates electricity in 13 states and the District of Columbia. Five of those states and D.C. already mandate or incentivize community solar.

Around 95% of new power projects proposed in the PJM region are wind and solar. PJM says 200,000 megawatts of renewable power could connect to the grid in the next four years if built by developers.

PPL, the electric utility for parts of central and northeastern Pennsylvania, did not return a request for comment for this story.

Brown said the time could be right for the legislation now, because of recent discussions in the legislature about energy reliability and affordability.

She said she thinks the benefits outweigh any potential risk; community solar can help lower electricity bills, diversify the state’s energy sources, and be good for the environment.

“The reality of everything coming together makes a lot of sense here, that this is a good time to offer this opportunity that may not be available to people traditionally,” Brown said.

She also noted the economic benefits. A 2020 Penn State study of more than 200 planned projects found that construction would create 5,991 direct jobs. Once in operation, the study said the projects would generate around $83.3 million in economic output.

Pennsylvania Capital-Star

The measure would green light more than 230 projects in 48 counties, backers said

BY: JOHN L. MICEK – APRIL 3, 2023 7:15 AM

A bipartisan proposal now making the rounds of the General Assembly would allow Pennsylvania to join the company of 22 other states that allow “community solar” projects that backers say “would enable access to solar energy for all Pennsylvanians,” regardless of whether they can install solar panel on their roofs or not.

“Rising costs and energy bills are very real here in Pennsylvania, and we must help find creative solutions to maintain reasonable utility costs,” Sen. Rosemary Brown, R-Monroe, the prime sponsor of the Senate version of the proposal, said in a statement.

“Community solar will include another option to further develop a diverse energy portfolio in Pennsylvania, leading us to a brighter and cost-efficient energy future,” Brown continued, adding that “creating a market for additional electricity options is a way to keep consumer costs down.”

People who participate in community solar projects can buy or lease portions of solar panels in a panel array, according to the U.S. Energy Department. In turn, they “typically receive an electric bill credit for electricity generated by their share of the community solar system—similar to someone who has rooftop panels installed on their home,” according to a summary on the agency’s website.

“My district has a lot of apartment buildings and multi-tenant homes, and right now they’re being excluded from a renewable, affordable energy source just because they don’t have a single family home in the suburbs,” Rep. Peter Schweyer, D-Lehigh, who’s backing a companion House bill, said in the joint statement. “Clean energy shouldn’t be exclusive or inaccessible; my constituents deserve options to lower their energy bills, especially as traditional rates continue to rise.”

If the proposal is eventually signed into law, it would green light some 230 community solar projects in 48 Pennsylvania counties, saving participating subscribers more than $30 million a year, backers said.

“Community solar is a critical part of a comprehensive energy portfolio, but current law and red tape prevents the state from taking advantage of the many benefits this form of energy can bring,” Matthew Hargarten, of the Coalition for Community Solar Access, a national trade group, said in a statement.

The legislation is “good for consumers and small businesses who will see savings on their electric bills; farmers and communities who will see new financial opportunities and tax revenue; and workers who will see thousands of family sustaining jobs come online,” Hargarten said.

According to an independent analysis by the consumer-facing website EnergySage, community solar participants save between 5% to 15% off their typical electricity bills.

But “some community solar programs may be more expensive than your current electricity bill, so it’s important to evaluate both expected monthly bills and long-term savings as you’re deciding whether or not to join a community solar program in order to save on energy costs,” the analysis concluded.

In Pennsylvania, the community solar projects will be funded through private investment, creating jobs for electricians, installers and other professionals.

Backers pointed to a September 2020 Penn State University study concluding that community solar projects could create more than 12,000 jobs statewide, and generate $1.8 billion in economic activity.

“There’s simply no reason that skilled and able workers are being kept on the sidelines for projects like this,” Robert Bair, the president of the Pennsylvania Building Trades, said. “The design, construction, and operation of these solar projects will keep thousands of folks in family sustaining jobs for years to come. We’re ready to get to work and look forward to seeing a responsible community solar marketplace in Pennsylvania.”

By: Anthony Campisi

Pennsylvania is in line to become the next state to host community solar if the Pennsylvania General Assembly takes quick action this fall to pass legislation that enjoys broad, bipartisan support.

To preview what community solar would look like for the commonwealth, the Coalition for Community Solar Access released a new video that showcases projects in a nearby state and interviews farmers about why this form of local solar is good for them.

The video features a member of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau named Paul Mason, whose property straddles both Maryland and Pennsylvania. He hopes to lease a small portion of his PA land for community solar, something he’s already doing across the border.

A fourth-generation farmer, Mason has been able to ensure a stable and reliable source of income from his community solar lease that he views as a smart “diversification strategy.” The lease for the community solar garden helps his dairy farm weather swings in commodity prices that impact farmers’ profitability and make it tough for them to plan.

“The beneficial element of community solar is that I get to be part of helping to produce renewable energy, as well as get a nice return from that renewable energy, and all I have to do is say, ‘Here, you can lease this land,” Mason explains in the video.

The video also illustrates how community solar is not invasive to the land. To install the solar panels, they simply drive posts into the ground allowing them to be removed at the conclusion of the lease, restoring the land to its original condition. In this way, farmers can host a community solar project for a finite period of time and eventually resume normal farming operations.

Advocates for community solar legislation (HB 531/SB 705) in Pennsylvania include groups such as the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania Conservative Energy Forum, Coalition for Community Solar Access and many more. They say that community solar will open a new markets in Pennsylvania that will drive economic development and job creation, save consumers money on their electric bills, and provide stable income for farmers, many of whom have been hit hard in recent years.

“There ain’t a bit of farming you can’t do without the sun,” says third-generation farmer Teresa Stonesifer as she closes the video. “Why not farm the sun, and have that solar help the farm?”