(Credit: Bill Mead/Unsplash)
Going solar remains unaffordable and technically impossible for many in Pennsylvania.
That’s why one Erie County legislator said he’s reintroducing the legislation to close a loophole for renters and homeowners who can’t afford to invest in their own roof panels.
Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, sponsored a plan Thursday that would establish subscription programs that would guarantee residents get 100% solar power from a local source instead of the traditional grid mix.
“This bill will allow those who truly believe in renewable energy but live in circumstances that are not conducive to generating it, to put their money into supporting their dream of a cleaner grid,” he said.
While residents can shop for renewable energy plans on Pennsylvania’s retail electricity market, most of that generation comes from projects in Tennessee or Kentucky.
A spokeswoman for Laughlin’s office said many of the plans sold on the market aren’t really “green.” That’s because project developers often sell solar renewable energy credits to fossil fuel suppliers, who then use the credits to prove that some of the energy supplied to customers comes from renewable sources.
Credits range from $3.50 to $370 per megawatt hour produced, depending on each state’s market value. In October 2022, Pennsylvania loans were worth between $40 and $42.
However, Laughlin’s plan requires local sources to keep their credits so that the generation meets the state’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard, thereby guaranteeing it is “green.”
The proposal comes amid the senator’s strong opposition to plans to install wind turbines on Lake Erie. The The House completed the event in Aprilwill allow land leases in the central and western regions of the lake.
While supporters say the development plans prevent environmental and economic disruption, critics disagree.
“If this bill is being proposed to protect the environment, it is anything but,” he said.
He said the negotiations left out property owners, fishermen and the charter captains he represents who “want to preserve a peaceful way of life.” All of them were concerned that wind turbines would not only disrupt the landscape along the shoreline, but also risk pollution from oil spills and stir up toxic sediments along the lake bed.
Laughlin did not comment on the bill at the time, but announced Thursday that he did not support it.