First Stakeholder Meeting On Statewide Solar Energy Development Planning March 2

Gov. Tom Wolf Wednesday announced the first statewide solar energy planning meeting will be held in Harrisburg on March 2.

Finding Pennsylvania’s Solar Future is a 30-month planning project led by the Department of Environmental Protection that will identify approaches to increase generation of in-state solar-powered electricity to 10 percent of all in-state electricity sales by 2030.

“Solar is a clean renewable energy that brings economic as well as environmental benefits, including creating jobs, lowering consumers’ electricity bills, and protecting the health of our farming, outdoor recreation, and tourism industries in the face of climate change,” said Gov. Wolf. “By investing our statewide expertise in proactive planning of solar energy development, we ensure that we fully leverage these benefits for all Pennsylvanians.”

DEP Acting Secretary Patrick McDonnell and SunShot Initiative’s Balance of Systems Program director Dr. Elaine Ulrich will provide opening remarks.

Coordinated by project partner PennFuture, the meeting includes an overview of the project, introduction of steering committee members, identification of strategic focus areas and potential working groups, a review of baseline modeling, and general discussions about the state solar marketplace.

State and local government leaders, academics, consumer advocates, utility and business leaders, experts in the solar industry, and others interested in solar energy are expected to participate in the project, which is funded by a $550,000 award from the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative.

“We’re pleased with the interest in this project shown by all sectors,” said Acting Secretary McDonnell. “Collaboration and diversity of views on solar are essential to a balanced plan that has statewide support and reflects a shared understanding of the steps needed to increase solar energy production in Pennsylvania.”

The stakeholder meeting is scheduled to be held from10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the auditorium of the Rachel Carson State Office Building in Harrisburg and is open to the public. Registration is required.  Click Here to register.

Meeting in working groups regularly throughout 2017 and 2018, project participants will use data modeling to analyze roles and opportunities in regulatory and ratemaking processes, business and market transformation, and operations and systems integration.

Meeting results and other information will be posted on the Finding Pennsylvania’s Solar Future webpage.