Baseline Assessment, Development Process, and Regulatory Context of Solar Power in Rural Pennsylvania

Abstract

Solar energy development in the United States has increased by 30,000% since 2001 and is likely to continue this dramatic expansion in the coming years, with much of the development pressure tracking to rural places. Despite ample solar resources and rural territory, solar development in Pennsylvania lags far behind many states in the Eastern U.S. To better understand this discrepancy and better support solar policy in the Commonwealth, we conducted a three-part analysis of solar development in Pennsylvania. First, we conducted a geographic assessment of existing and proposed solar development to date to determine the factors that contribute to the current distribution of solar development and which regions are most likely to see development in the future. We also conducted a comparative solar policy audit for Pennsylvania with New York and North Carolina, two states with significantly higher rates of solar development, and key stakeholder interviews to better understand the current solar development process in the Commonwealth. Our analysis found that much of rural Pennsylvania is suitable for utility-scale solar development, with numerous areas across the state likely to see acute development pressure in the coming years. Our policy analysis found that Pennsylvania has almost no solar energy policy, which differs quite significantly from other states. Not only does this lack of policy seem to explain the slow growth of solar in the Commonwealth, but it also significantly impacts many rural stakeholders currently involved in the development process.