HARRISBURG (KYW Newsradio) — The commonwealth of Pennsylvania has signed a 15-year deal to buy solar power to cover about 50% of electricity needs at state facilities starting in 2023.
Gov. Tom Wolf and his administration are hailing it as one of the largest solar energy commitments of its kind in the country.
And, they said, it means a lot of money saved on the state’s electric bills and more.
"This clean, environmentally friendly solar energy will lower our annual carbon dioxide emissions statewide by 157,000 metric tons, which is the equivalent of taking more than 34,000 cars off the road," said Curt Topper, secretary of the Department of General Services, which played a large role in crafting the deal.
Topper said seven solar arrays will be built on farmland in six central PA counties.
Starting in January 2023, he said PA is to begin drawing on the power of the sun.
"Roughly half of the electricity used by our state government," Topper explained. "And the arrays will supply 100 percent of the electricity for 434 accounts across 16 state agencies."
He said the deal insulates the commonwealth from electricity price escalations.
"We will have a fixed price over 15 years of the agreement, providing us with long-term price protection and budget certainty," Topper said.
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Kevin Smith, CEO of Lightsource BP, a London company with an East Coast base in Philadelphia, said they’re leasing fields from farmers and erecting and maintaining the solar panels.
"The projects will employ over 400 workers in total across the seven sites during construction," Smith said.
He said a handful of employees will remain at each site to maintain them.
"The seven projects that we will build for this activity here will supply the commonwealth with a tremendous amount of electricity, generate clean energy, reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions that are affecting the health of Pennsylvanians,” Smith said.
Project officials say the solar sites should be up and producing power by 2023.
"What the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is doing is a model for other governments in the U.S. to address climate change and usher in a new, sustainable era," Smith added.