Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell has announced $20.5 million in state and federal funding, which will support 40 clean energy projects in the state and create 1,400 clean energy jobs. The investment is being provided through the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority, which will also leverage more than $211 million in private funds, the governor's office says.
Pennsylvania's Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act requires that 0.5% of Pennsylvania customers' purchased energy come from solar power by 2021. The state currently has over 39 MW of solar capacity installed, but this goal must be increased, Rendell says.
‘Unless we move now to increase our solar share – even to a modest 1.5 percent target – the types of projects we're announcing today won't even consider Pennsylvania, Rendell states." They'll look elsewhere and take their jobs with them. And the 600 solar businesses now operating in Pennsylvania may move to another state where the sun shines brighter. Not acting on this issue now will only hurt our economy in the long run.’
The projects announced by Rendell were funded through three sources. Twenty-four projects were funded with $13 million from Growing Greener II, eight projects were funded with $5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and eight projects were funded with $2.5 million through Duquesne Light Co. settlement funds.
For more information, visit depweb.state.pa.us.
SOURCE: Office Of Gov. Edward G. Rendell
