Public school solar grants readied, but not funded

(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania schools will soon get state support to invest in solar energy.

That is, once state lawmakers fund it.

Gov. Josh Shapiro signed legislation Monday establishing a grant program that will cover half the cost of solar systems for interested schools and community colleges.

Once up and running, the governor said the program will lower energy costs while supporting a growing industry that spurs job creation.

It’s not the first bill signed without funding, however. A school construction reimbursement program called PlanCon 2.0 has been unfunded years despite broad bipartisan support. Champions of the plan say roughly $15 billion to $20 billion worth of projects exist that could use state funding.

Lawmakers increased education spending $1.1 billion this year , including more than $500 million for districts struggling with tax support and academic achievement. Another $75 million was earmarked to help schools remediate toxic environmental concerns, including buildings laden with mold and asbestos.

Prime sponsor Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Philadelphia, said the measure concludes 18 months of legislative work, including a tour of schools across the state, that will create “well-paying jobs, better funded schools, and a cleaner environment.”

“Solar for Schools is a major victory, and I am humbled to share it with so many strong allies,” she said.

One such legislative ally, Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Washington, said the program gives schools an “innovative” way to “be responsible for their taxpayers” while redistributing resources back into students.

“This legislation commbines two of my greatest passions, education and energy while also bolstering the economy,” she said. “Our hard-working building trades will benefit by the thousands of jobs this funding creates.”

It was the “radical” union of labor leaders and environmental advocates, Fiedler said, that finally sent the bill to Shapiro’s desk.

“By focusing on what unites us – the desire for union jobs and climate action – we were able to create a Blue-Green coalition that has developed a bold legislative agenda and a fierce determination to deliver,” she said. “Solar for Schools was the product of our initial brainstorms.”

She said the coalition’s work gives her hope for the future of school funding in Pennsylvania.

“It was no accident,” she said. “The Blue-Green work is real, not talk, and this win is the product of hundreds of hours of work and organizing over a year and a half. But this win is the first of many. We have a long list of legislative priorities to accomplish.”