Shapiro announces new PA renewable energy initiative - York Dispatch
Shapiro announces new PA renewable energy initiative
Shapiro announces new renewable energy initiative for Pa. during York County visit
Anthony Maenza
Gov. Josh Shapiro on Monday used a visit to York County to unveil a renewable energy initiative he says would make Pennsylvania the first state in the country to get half of its energy from solar power.
Called Pennsylvania Project to Utilize Light and Solar Energy, the initiative has the commonwealth poised by next year to get 50% of its electricity from 10 solar arrays around the state, he said.
If that happens, Pennsylvania would lead the nation in using renewable energy sources like wind and solar, outpacing larger states like Texas and California, according to Shapiro.
One of the solar arrays is located in West Manchester Township.
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The Pennsylvania Department of General Services has entered into an agreement with Constellation Energy for a 15-year, fixed-price agreement, so even as energy costs rise, Pennsylvania’s rate will stay the same, he said.
“With our energy plan and innovative projects like PA PULSE, my administration will create energy jobs, take real action to address climate change pollution, ensure consumers pay less on their bills, and continue to ensure Pennsylvania maintains its energy independence for years to come,” Shapiro said.
Department of General Services Secretary Reggie McNeil, Constellation President and CEO Joseph Dominguez, and Lightsource bp Senior Vice President Alyssa Edwards were also on hand with Shapiro to unveil the renewable energy initiative.
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McNeil said the successful installation and launch of the first three solar farms during the first quarter of 2024 created over 200 jobs.
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“Upon the completion of all 10 solar arrays, PA PULSE will enable the commonwealth to slash its carbon footprint by a staggering 157,800 metric tons of CO2 annually,” McNeil said. “That is equivalent to removing emissions from nearly 35,000 fuel-burning cars each year.”
The 10 PA PULSE solar arrays were built and are owned and operated by Lightsource bp across six Pennsylvania counties: Columbia, Juniata, Crawford, Northumberland, Snyder and York. In total, the project will supply 361,000 megawatt hours of electricity annually to 16 commonwealth agencies, making it the largest solar commitment by any state.
The governor's visit came about a week after news broke that a developer was dropping plans to build one of two large solar farms in Dover Township.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: renewables
Renewable energy sources — once the fuel of the future, then practical in specific, narrow applications — are increasingly economic mainstream sources of power generation. Hydropower was long the mainstay of U.S. renewable electricity generation, although wind power surpassed hydro for the first time in 2019, and solar continues its rapid growth. The continued growth of wind and solar, with their fluctuations, is tied in part to improvements in storage technology: batteries.