Letter of Support for HB 1842: Community Solar Legislation

March 25, 2024

Dear members of the state House,

On behalf of the statewide, citizen-based non-profit group PennEnvironment, I am writing in support of Representative Peter Schweyer’s Community Solar Legislation, House Bill 1842. This legislation passed out of the House Consumer Protection Committee with unanimous, bipartisan support on March 19, 2024.

Establishing community solar in Pennsylvania would allow neighbors, businesses, farmers, or other community members to come together to directly participate in and receive the benefits from a solar project connected to their local grid. This would be a game changer for Pennsylvanians who want to go solar but can’t put it on their own roofs because they rent, have old or shaded roofs, or face financial barriers. With community solar, Pennsylvanians from all walks of life will have the option to opt in together and expand access to clean energy for their community.

Authorizing community solar in the Commonwealth will allow more Pennsylvanians to access solar energy, which will lower climate pollution, clean up our air, support energy independence, and help people save money on their energy bills.

For these reasons, PennEnvironment asks you to vote in favor of House Bill 1842.

At the same time, we have heard that amendments may be offered to HB 1842 that could weaken or end Pennsylvania’s net metering program. If such an amendment is offered, PennEnvironment asks that you vote in opposition to it. Net metering is a critical tool to ensure that Pennsylvania residents and businesses can be fairly reimbursed by utility companies for any extra energy that they produce from their solar panels, which is then added to the grid and distributed by utility companies to their customers.

Thank you in advance for your consideration and support, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with questions about this legislation or other PennEnvironment efforts. 

Flora Cardoni

Field Director