The secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) touted an “exciting milestone” this week as the commonwealth continues to promote its renewable energy projects.
DEP recently celebrated the installation of the 1,000th Level 2 electric vehicle charger through the department’s Driving PA Forward program, Secretary Patrick McDonnell told members of the DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council at their monthly meeting. The program is funded through the $118 million settlement set aside from the Volkswagen emissions scandal to support zero- and low-emission vehicles and related infrastructure. (See “Charging Infrastructure Expansion,” Pa. Seeking to Boost EV Sales.)
McDonnell said of the 1,000 chargers installed since the beginning of the program in 2019, 71% are located on privately-owned property, including apartment complexes and companies with large staffs. The remaining 29% are on government-owned properties, including 12 projects installed by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) at state parks.
Organizations submitting applications for EV installations are provided rebate vouchers after the projects are completed, with funding of up to $4,000 per plug. About $7.7 million is being allocated over a five-year period to fund the program.
McDonnell said the chargers funded by the program can be found at more than 300 locations across 39 counties in Pennsylvania. An additional 140 charging station projects are in progress, which will add more than 500 plugs in 45 of Pennsylvania’s 67counties.
There are now more than 1,600 public Level 2 EV chargers that can be used by any vehicle at more than 800 locations in the state, McDonnell said. McDonnell said the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has around 28,500 EVs registered in Pennsylvania as of February. Three years ago, that number was a little more than 11,000.
“The time is definitely now to make sure to take advantage of the program,” McDonnell said.
Solar Hub
During the Advisory Council meeting, McDonnell also promoted the DEP’s new solar energy resource hub website. McDonnell said the database “covers the evolving solar energy landscape” in the state and was driven by the renewable energy goals set in Pennsylvania’s 2018 Solar Future Plan, which set a goal of obtaining 10% of electricity from in-state solar by 2030.
In March, Gov. Tom Wolf announced that nearly 50% of the electricity used by the state government will be produced by seven new solar energy arrays comprising 191 MW of capacity to be built around Pennsylvania. (See Pa. to Source 50% of Govt. Electricity from Solar.)
“As we see large development of grid-scale solar resources being developed, we felt the need to make sure there was some central location for information,” McDonnell said.
The DEP began pulling together information for residents and businesses in Pennsylvania to “make smart, informed decisions” about siting and deploying solar arrays, McDonnell said. The website contains information for landowners on leasing agreements and land use restrictions as well as a local government page that includes permitting tools, power purchase agreements and model ordinances for grid-scale solar projects.
McDonnell said DEP is working with members of the Penn State Extension to develop more resources for local governments and information for solar developers on permit requirements and land use considerations.
“As we get more resources, we’ll continue to update that page,” McDonnell said.