Solar Grant Program Announced for Pa. Schools

Local school districts in Pennsylvania will soon be able to lower their energy costs while also reducing carbon pollution by installing solar panels to power their buildings. The Solar for Schools grant program was recently approved by the state Legislature and signed into law.

The legislation directs the state Department of Community and Economic Development to set up the program, using money Pennsylvania received from the federal Inflation Reduction Act for clean energy programs. In addition, the state Legislature allocated an additional $25 million for the program in this year’s budget.

DCED has 90 days to write and publish the guidelines for seeking the grants, which can be up to 50% of the cost of installing a solar array. The grants will be available to public K-12 schools, community colleges and career and technical schools. School districts seeking the grants will first have to have a solar facility site assessment from a qualified provider, which must be submitted as part of the application.

State Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, the bill’s sponsor, noted that energy is one of the highest expenses for school districts in Pennsylvania and that on-site solar can reduce those energy costs, potentially saving Pennsylvania school districts hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. The program also will create jobs and reduce the use of fossil fuels, as well as uniting labor and environmental interests in such an effort. The legislation had bipartisan support and backing from labor and education organizations.

Her office also said that Midd-West School District in Middleburg, Snyder County, reduced its yearly $420,000 electric bill by about $145,000 after installing a solar array.

Gov. Josh Shapiro said that the Solar for Schools program builds on the energy plan he outlined earlier this year, which would set ambitious new goals for renewable energy use in the state. Solar energy is the fastest-growing source of energy generation in the U.S., according to the Energy Information Administration, which is expected to continue.

His administration also recently announced the Pennsylvania Project to Utilize Light and Solar Energy (PA PULSE), which will commit the state to getting 50 percent of its energy for commonwealth buildings from solar power using 10 new solar farms to be built across the state under a power provider agreement.