Pennsylvania’s Solar Future Plan Strategies to increase electricity generation from in-state solar energy Finding Pennsylvania’s SOLAR FUTURE Pennsylvania’s Solar Future Plan Strategies to increase electricity generation from in-state solar energy November 2018 CONTACT INFORMATION For questions about this report, please contact: David Althoff Jr. Robert Altenburg Director, Energy Programs Office Director, PennFuture Energy Center PA Department of Environmental Protection 610 N. Third St. Rachel Carson State Office Building Harrisburg, PA 17101 400 Market St. – 12th fl. Harrisburg, PA 17105-8772 Ph: 717.214.7933 Email: [email protected] Ph: 717.783.0542 Email: [email protected] Read the complete plan: https://www.dep.pa.gov/PASolarFuture/plan To learn more: https://www.dep.pa.gov/PASolarFuture COVER PHOTOS Top: Sunset in Spring Grove, York County Middle: Farm in Cogan Station, Lycoming County; Tom Ridge Environmental Center, Presque Isle, Erie County; farm in Germansville, Lehigh County Bottom: Estes Trucking, West Middlesex, Mercer County; Community Energy’s Keystone Solar Project, Radnor, Lancaster County; residence in Schuylkill County Acknowledgment: This work is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office, under Award Number DE-EE0007666. Disclaimer: This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Finding Pennsylvania’s SOLAR FUTURE A Message from Governor Tom Wolf A diverse energy portfolio is one of Pennsylvania’s strongest assets. Expanding the use of solar energy builds on this strength and positions Pennsylvania to gain advantages increasingly being pursued across the United States from this clean, reliable, and renewable source of electricity. Solar energy development brings diverse benefits, including reduced emissions and related public health problems; new jobs statewide; increased grid security; and protection for our farming, recreation, tourism, and other business sectors in the face of climate change. If implemented, the strategies presented in Pennsylvania’s Solar Future, along with other initiatives by my administration, from supporting the use of in-state solar renewable energy credits to increased grants and loans for solar installations, will help ensure that we fully leverage these benefits for all Pennsylvanians. I thank the many stakeholders who participated in this project for sharing their expert knowledge to set Pennsylvania on a path to a clearer future in renewable energy, for the benefit of our citizens, businesses, farms, towns and cities, schools, and organizations alike. Tom Wolf Governor A Message from Secretary Patrick McDonnell As the source of nearly 33 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Pennsylvania, electricity generation is a key area for renewable energy innovations to reduce these pollutants and the challenges they create for public health and our environment. Solar energy is growing in Pennsylvania, as it is across the United States. However, while the number of states that get at least 5 percent or even 10 percent of electricity from solar continues to climb, Pennsylvania gets less than 1 percent of its electricity from this clean, reliable, and renewable energy source. Significant potential remains for solar energy development to transform our electricity generation sector. What are the best ways for Pennsylvania to realize this potential? The Department of Environmental Protection Energy Programs Office assembled a statewide partnership of experts who have collaborated for more than a year to identify 15 strategies, including grid-scale solar and smaller, distributed systems (such as rooftop installations), that can achieve a 10 percent increase in solar-powered electricity. They have also detailed the associated benefits and required investments, to create a set of strategy recommendations ready for implementation. For Pennsylvania to achieve leadership in renewable energy generation from solar, we will require more intensive leadership, investment, and recognition of the long-range economic and environmental benefits. I am proud of the leadership DEP and our partners are providing on this important aspect of Pennsylvania’s energy mix. If you want to see a viable future of cleaner energy in Pennsylvania, I invite you to turn the page. Further, I encourage you to consider how this valuable work might inform your energy decisions. Patrick McDonnell Secretary Department of Environmental Protection | i FINDING PENNSYLVANIA’S SOLAR FUTURE Project Leadership Team: David Althoff, Principal Investigator, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Robert Altenburg, Project Coordinator, Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future Kerry Campbell, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Allen Landis, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Facilitation Team: Dr. Jeffrey Brownson, Pennsylvania State University Ron Celentano, Celentano Energy Services Maureen Mulligan, Sustainable Futures Communications, LLC. Sharon Pillar, Hot Earth Collaborative, LLC. Modeling Team: David Hill, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation Damon Lane, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation Kate Desrochers, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation External Reviewers: Dr. Seth Blumsack, Pennsylvania State University Dr. Willard Delavan, Lebanon Valley College Committed Partners: Berks County Community Community Energy Community Foundation for the Foundation Alleghenies Energy Association of Kleinman Center for Energy Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Pennsylvania Policy Association Office of the Consumer Advocate PA Public Utility Commission PJM Interconnection PennFuture The Reinvestment Fund— SEDA-COG Sustainable Development Fund Tesla/Solar City The Nature Conservancy The Sustainable Energy Fund of South Central Pennsylvania Stakeholders: This project would not be possible without the efforts of the over 500 stakeholders that have participated over the past year. This included attending quarterly meetings and additional webinars, as well as efforts reviewing and commenting on several draft documents. Names of these stakeholders appear in Appendix A. Funding: This work has been funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office, under Award Number DE-EE0007666. | ii CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................... ix Cross-Cutting Strategies ......................................................................................................................xiii Distributed Generation Strategies ....................................................................................................... xiv Grid Scale Strategies ............................................................................................................................ xv Next Steps ........................................................................................................................................... xvii INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................1 THE FINDING PENNSYLVANIA’S SOLAR FUTURE PROJECT ....................................................................6 A. Project Team ..............................................................................................................................7 B. Project Goals ..............................................................................................................................8 C. Establishing the 10 Percent Target ...............................................................................................9 D. Approach ................................................................................................................................. 10 STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT .............................................................. 13 PENNSYLVANIA’S ENERGY SYSTEM ................................................................................................... 17 A. Energy Generation Profile ......................................................................................................... 18 B. Energy Usage and Shifts in Generation Sources.......................................................................... 19 SOLAR ENERGY IN PENNSYLVANIA.................................................................................................... 22 A. Solar Jobs in Pennsylvania ........................................................................................................ 25 1. Job Differences Per Sector ..............................................................................................................