Solar States Blog

I know it sounds like a cheesy sixties travel song or the latest tourism campaign but Pennsylvania Sunshine may brighten our state in another way.

As an add-on to Gov. Ed Rendell’s Alternative Energy Investment Act, Pennsylvania Sunshine provides $100 million in grant funding for commercial and residential solar projects. This bill, which was passed after the Commonwealth Financing Authority board voted unanimously last week, knocks down the largest barrier to solar energy in Pennsylvania. High upfront costs for solar arrays, combined with Pennsylvania’s already high labor and building costs have prevented solar development from taking off.

Funding will be available on a first-come-first-served basis, with applications available through the Department of Environmental Protection as early as next week.

This legislation comes as a huge sigh of relief for companies like Solar States, interested in furthering solar development. The fact is that solar energy is not yet cost effective for up-and-coming businesses to afford in the short term. The Pennsylvania Sunshine law allows for investment into energy independence; an investment that is going to become more and more important as rate caps disappear at the end of 2010.

The Pennsylvania solar community came out in force in support of the bill last week, as installers, potential developers and displaced solar company employees gathered in Harrisburg. Nine months ago, when Rendell’s energy policy was passed through the state house, install and development companies sprung up across PA, hoping to take advantage of promised rebates. But by the first of the year, no rebates had been issued and many installers had to lay off employees.

With the economy being in the shape it is in, cities and municipalities have been scrambling to keep development dollars flowing in. Philadelphia, for example, has had bills flowing through City Council since December to scale back generous tax abatement programs. But fears about negative impacts on development prevented support from the Mayor’s office. Pennsylvania Sunshine was propped up alongside federal stimulus funds as better incentives for green development.

Lastly, this law is great news for the city’s engineering students and solar technicians-in-training counting on early investment into solar energy to create a bedrock of the Philadelphia solar industry. Because, hey, someone has to be first.

Check out the full literature of the Pennsylvania Sunshine Law, as well as applications for inclusion here.