Pennsylvania’s largest solar farm to power Philly government buildings

Seven times.

The upcoming Adams Solar farm in Adams County, Pennsylvania will be seven times larger than any other solar project in the state, once it becomes operational in 2020. And now the energy generated has a home, as the city of Philadelphia, through the Philadelphia Energy Authority, has agreed to a 20-year power contract with developer Community Energy Inc.

Once up and running, Adams Solar farm’s output will be used to power 22% of the demand coming from Philadelphia government buildings, as a significant step towards the city’s goal of sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewables by 2030. And along the way it will eliminate more than 4 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions over its lifetime.

“The Philadelphia solar commitment demonstrates impressive and much-needed leadership on climate change in Pennsylvania,” said Community Energy CEO and co-founder Brent Alderfer. “As the costs of climate change go up, Philadelphia is showing the way for municipalities to secure reliable, long-term solar power to decarbonize and head off irreversible climate damage.”

Moreover, this project is a monumental development for the state. Not only is it poised to be the state’s largest solar plant seven times over, but it alone has the equivalent capacity as 1/6 of all the solar currently on-line within the state. However, with this project and the state’s newly announced Renewable Portfolio Standard mandating that of 10% of electricity generation by 2030 must come from solar resources, the future looks bright in the Keystone State.

This brightness, however, is relative. Pennsylvania is poised to add 667 MW over the next 5 years, according to SEIA, but this projection is 26th nationally over that same timeframe. But as long as cities and states keep setting higher renewable energy mandates, this could change.

Tim Sylvia