Wolf Administration Invites Public to Learn about Solar Energy Initiatives in Economically Disadvantaged Communities in Free Webinar

Harrisburg, PA – The Finding Pennsylvania’s Solar Future planning project group, led by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), invites the public to learn about solar energy initiatives in economically disadvantaged communities in Pennsylvania and across the country in a free webinar from noon to 1:00 PM on Monday, December 4.

Registration is required. Please register here.

The Wolf administration supports statewide efforts to advance solar energy and clean energy job creation in the commonwealth, as demonstrated by new legislation requiring utilities to get electricity solar renewable energy credits only from Pennsylvania solar facilities and the recent announcement of $30 million in grants and loans available for solar installations and solar equipment manufacturing in the state.

In planning approaches for increased solar energy development, the Pennsylvania’s Solar Future project group is working to ensure the benefits of solar energy are enjoyed by all communities.

In this webinar, experts will give an overview of challenges, opportunities, and success stories in solar energy projects in economically disadvantaged communities locally and nationally. Through a Q&A afterward, participants can share their views on the questions and concerns that economically disadvantaged communities in Pennsylvania have related to solar energy development.

Panelists:
•    Andrew Kleeman, senior vice president at Ecosave, Inc., a multinational clean energy developer with its U.S. office in Philadelphia, will discuss a set of solar power systems at a new affordable housing development in Philadelphia that Ecosave is building. He’ll also talk about several Pennsylvania solar projects he helped develop at public housing sites and tax-incented affordable housing projects in previous positions.
•    Anya Schoolman, executive director at Solar United Neighbors, will discuss successful solar models for economically disadvantaged communities with a focus on projects in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Although these projects had local subsidies, Anya will suggest lessons Pennsylvania may draw from their successes.  
•    Erica McConnell, special counsel at Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger, PPL., represents the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC). She’ll share cases from across the country of successful community solar initiatives for economically disadvantaged groups and explain resources available from the council.   

Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office, under Award No. EE0007666, the Finding Pennsylvania’s Solar Future project is a statewide planning effort to increase Pennsylvania's solar energy production to at least 10 percent of in-state electricity sales by 2030.