Pennsylvania can now power residents in a city the size of Pittsburgh with in-state solar
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pennsylvania says it can now power residents in a city the size of Pittsburgh with in-state solar.
The state's Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards program has surpassed one gigawatt, or 1,000 megawatts, of solar energy. That's enough to power nearly 140,000 homes, which is about the number of households in a city the size of Pittsburgh, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Public Utility Commission.
Additional solar under construction across the state will be enough to supply the combined residential populations of Altoona, Harrisburg, Scranton and West Chester.
"Over the past five years the number of new solar projects being installed in Pennsylvania has grown by 160 percent, and the total capacity of the new systems coming online has doubled, despite a global pandemic and various supply chain issues," said Public Utility Commission Chairman Stephen M. DeFrank in a news release.
"This growth is being driven by small rooftop solar systems on homes and businesses, which account for about two-thirds of current solar capacity, along with increasing development of larger utility-scale solar systems that connect directly to the power transmission grid."
The Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards program, which began in 2005, requires that 18% of electric power provided through retail sale in Pennsylvania comes from qualified alternative and renewable energy sources.
DEP Interim Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley said clean, renewable solar energy is important for Pennsylvania's air quality.
"From solar power to clean hydrogen and the wealth of emerging technologies in between, the Shapiro Administration will continue advancing an energy policy that ensures a diverse and reliable ecosystem of energy resources and that protects the environment, creates jobs, and protects consumers," Shirley said in a news release. "At the rate of solar development currently in our Commonwealth, I'm looking forward to reaching our second gigawatt in a fraction of the time."