Pennsylvania could lose $156 million meant to help low-income people reduce their energy bills through solar power if state lawmakers don't act before September.
The federal money for the Solar for All program was awarded in April 2024, and the state signed a contract in January of this year. But state lawmakers must formally authorize the program to be able to spend the money.
The money could help install solar on more than 12,000 homes over the next five years. Advocates are pushing for the program to be included in the late state budget.
Monica Carey, Pennsylvania program director for the nonprofit Solar United Neighbors, said the money will be returned to the federal government if the legislature doesn't act by Sept. 1.
A failure to pass Solar for All, combined with the recent cuts to federal clean energy tax credits, would limit access to solar energy, Carey said.
"We're really just back to making sure that only the wealthy can benefit from things like solar," she said.
SUN is highlighting people who have benefited from programs similar to Solar for All. The nonprofit organizes solar co-ops that bring people together to buy solar panels at the same time to negotiate better rates. It also has given grants to income-eligible people who show interest in the co-ops.
Valerie Testa, a professional gardener who lives in Hazelwood, got a grant a few years ago for her home. She said she has been interested in sustainability and alternative energy for a long time, but assumed solar panels were financially out of reach for her.
Now the panels cover nearly all of her electricity use. She said she uses the money she saves on utility bills to try to benefit her community; she rescues stray cats and runs a community garden.
"Being in a dense, urban environment with the heat island and all of that, it's neat to play a small part in contributing to alternate energy sources," Testa said.
Another SUN grant recipient, Jason Pampena of Squirrel Hill, had panels installed last fall. Since April, the array has been generating enough power that he only needs to pay the distribution charge for his electric bill.
Pampena left his full time firefighting job a few years ago to become a tax accountant.
"Leaving that to start my business was kind of a nerve wracking experience," he said, "and so, it certainly does give me feelings of stability to know what my expenses are going to be."
Pampena looked into solar about ten years ago, but said the upfront cost was prohibitive. He said it's frustrating that it feels like the state and country could be close to being able to help more people install solar, but it's not quite there.
" We just needed some support with the financing cost of it," Pampena said. "I think that sort of thing could really make a big difference with other middle-income folks being able to adopt this stuff."
Carey said the program would benefit constituents of nearly every state legislator, so she doesn't see why they wouldn't authorize the spending.
"This is money that Pennsylvania rate payers will not spend an extra cent, Pennsylvania taxpayers will not spend an extra cent," Carey said. "This is money from Congress, already federally appropriated, that will give $156 million to pay for solar systems and home energy improvements for low-income residents all across the state."
A previous standalone bill to allow the program was derailed when it was amended to include a provision that could have ended net metering, which is a mechanism that gives solar owners credit for the surplus electricity their panels send to the grid and lets them recoup the cost of the array.
Now, advocates' best hope is to see the program in the state budget. A line item for Solar for All is listed in the version passed by the state House.
Carey said residential solar can be a solution to challenges facing the electric grid, such as damage from storms and surging demand in summer months due to high air conditioning use.
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