Solar for Schools: Energy Program Presented at GCCTC

Lawmakers, school administrators and labor leaders gathered Thursday at the Greene County Career and Technology Center in Waynesburg to celebrate the passage of Solar for Schools, a grant program to help Pennsylvania school districts fund and install solar panels to power K-12 buildings, community colleges, and vocational and technical schools.

The cost of energy is one of the highest expenses for school districts in Pennsylvania, and state Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Philadelphia, the lead sponsor of Solar for Schools (a bill that passed with bipartisan support and was signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro) said on-site solar can save school districts millions of dollars in energy bills over the life of the project while reducing costs for taxpayers, creating good-paying jobs and contributing to a healthier planet.

“We’re very excited about the approval of Solar For Schools, which we know will be a great tool for school districts to be able to generate their own electricity, have some sort of budget predictability and stability, and of course save taxpayers millions of dollars over the life of the system,” said Fiedler, who spent 18 months visiting schools across the state discussing the program.

Solar for Schools grants will cover the costs of equipment purchase and installation, permitting fees, energy storage, and utility interconnection.

In addition, $25 million will be allocated from the state budget to fund the program that will enable schools to implement solar energy.

State Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Beaver/Greene/Washington, who sponsored the bill, said Solar for Schools will benefit all 19 public school districts and three career and technology centers in Washington and Greene counties.

“Administrators at these schools are looking for ways to improve energy efficiency and this program is here to help,” Bartolotta said. “Not only will this program help our schools move forward in energy efficiency, but it will also allow us to bring federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act to our communities while creating family-sustaining jobs locally.”

She called southwestern Pennsylvania “the energy capital of the world,” saying, “We have robust local natural resources right here beneath our feet that support the needs of our nation. This announcement today only adds to our legacy of energy production and diversity. These solar projects are good for our schools, they are good for our workforce, and they are good for our future.”

According to a fact sheet on Fiedler’s website, Pennsylvania school districts that have already transitioned to solar have seen benefits, with some eliminating their energy bills. The money saved can be reinvested in classrooms.

In 2020, Snyder County’s Midd-West School District installed 5,130 solar panels on 10 acres at the Middleburg Campus and West Snyder Elementary School, reducing their $420,000 annual electric bill by approximately $145,000. They expect to save $9 million over 40 years.

Steelton-Highspire, an urban school district in Dauphin County, installed a ground-mounted solar system in 2022, offsetting 100% of the district’s annual electric energy use for its two school buildings. The district expects to save $1.6 million over 20 years.

“Dollars can be reinvested into educational opportunities, whatever makes the most sense for the school,” Fiedler said.

In the United States, more than 800 elementary and secondary schools added new solar panels in 2022-23, and over the past 10 years, the amount of solar capacity at elementary and secondary schools has more than quadrupled, according to a report by Generation 180, a nonprofit clean energy advocacy group.

Fiedler said passage of Solar for Schools was made possible by overwhelming bipartisan support and a coalition of labor, education, environmental and faith groups.

Among the groups attending Thursday’s press conference were representatives from the Clean Air Council, the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) and Greene County Schools.

Lois Bower-Bjornson, outreach coordinator for the Clean Air Council, called the passage of Solar for Schools “a monumental victory for Pennsylvanians, the environment, schools and the workforce.”

“Helping Pennsylvania schools take advantage of this resource and, in the process, benefit from energy savings while enjoying clean air is fantastic all around,” he said.

West Greene School District Superintendent Brian Jackson said the rural school district has considered transitioning to solar power and will apply for the grant.

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development has until Oct. 15 to set guidelines for the program, and applications are expected to open to school districts shortly after.