Solar energy is the only form of renewable energy that is mandated by state law to be produced in-state to qualify for certain policy advantages. It keeps the jobs and investment in-state. Pennsylvania passed Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards in 2004, requiring electricity providers to supply 18 percent of their energy sales from alternative energy sources by 2021. According to the state’s Public Utility Commission, the percentage of renewable energy in Pennsylvania’s generation portfolio currently stands at 15.2 percent. More solar facilities are needed to meet the portfolio standards both now and in the future.

Tens of millions of solar panels, operating hundreds of millions of hours, have been installed across the United States and the world over the past 30 years. The efficiency of panels and inverters (something that converts the electricity into the standard that comes out of your electrical outlets) has improved five-fold over the past several years and the costs have plummeted. Large-scale solar energy farms are now one of the lowest cost electricity sources.

Many Pennsylvania based firms are currently working on the project, with millions of pre-construction dollars being invested. During the nine-month construction period, expected to begin next year, the construction will employ approximately 150 local people. Upwards of $125 million in contracts will be awarded to regional vendors. Once construction is completed, the facility will provide one dozen high-wage, family-sustaining jobs, and it will also rely on many local vendors during its entire operational life.

The solar farm will produce enough energy for 33,000 households annually. A solar farm is a manufacturer of electrons. These electrons are impossible to trace once they go into the wires. However, electricity is usually consumed in the market that it is generated so most of the electrons will end up serving local residents.