New toolkit provides Pennsylvania cities with Blueprint to go solar

PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center

[Philadelphia, PA] — With local municipalities playing an increasingly important role in the clean energy revolution, the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center released a new toolkit today to show how t cities and towns here in Pennsylvania and nationwide can capture more clean renewable energy from the sun. Ten Ways Your Community Can Go Solar offers practical ways to take advantage of millions of available rooftops across the country and in Pennsylvania.   

“Our communities need solutions that match the scale of the environmental challenges we face,” said David Masur, Executive Director of PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center. “The promise of solar energy in helping address those problems and get to a future powered by 100 percent renewable energy can’t be overstated – solar energy is clean, renewable, abundant and more affordable than ever before. Cities have so much to gain from tapping the sun for more power.”

Based on lessons learned from PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center’s Go Solar campaign, Ten Ways Your Community Can Go Solar details how cities can lead by example, expand access, remove obstacles and work with other institutions to harness solar energy. In addition to the toolkit, PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center is holding a webinar series with its national partner Environment America to discuss tactics for boosting local solar energy development.

“We’re seeing great progress in cities throughout Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Downington and more” said Kelly Flanigan, Global Warming Solutions Associate with PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center. “Still, some places need help getting started, or have hit roadblocks at some step along the way. And some top solar cities could take their energy leadership to another level. We want to help those communities achieve their full solar potential, by giving them tools that allow them to learn from each other’s experiences.”

The toolkit builds on efforts presently underway at PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center. As part of its Go Solar campaign, the organization is identifying and assisting cities in thinking bigger with bold renewable energy commitments and smart policies and programs to tap the sun for more power. The campaign also includes the Mayors for Solar Energy letter, a bipartisan statement signed by 235 mayors to date representing cities in all 50 states, including 43 from Pennsylvania — more signatures than any other state. Together, these leaders are calling for more solar energy to power American communities.

“The Mayors for Solar Energy all agree that local renewable power is crucial to meeting the current and future needs of their communities,” Flanigan said. “The tools, case studies and resources included in this toolkit are intended to make it easier for communities to take advantage of this clean and plentiful resource and transition away from dirty energy sources for good.”  

Municipalities across the state and country are already showing the viability of going solar. In 2017, 20 U.S. cities produced more solar energy than the entire nation did in 2010. Research has shown that good policy is even more important for solar success than the availability of sunshine. And, effective public policies that help electric providers, businesses and residents access more solar energy can set leading cities apart from the rest.

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The PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center is a statewide environmental organization working to ensure clean air, clean water, and protecting Pennsylvania’s great natural heritage. For more information about this and other PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center projects, visit www.PennEnvironment.org/center/