Title
Calling on the Pennsylvania General Assembly to adopt the Solar for Schools Act (House Bill 1032) and thanking Representative Fiedler for her commitment to reducing the energy costs of public schools, expanding renewable energy production, and creating family-sustaining jobs for Pennsylvanians.
Body
WHEREAS, School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington recently estimated the District's capital program needs at $5 billion dollars; and
WHEREAS, Deferred building maintenance has already resulted in health and safety issues for students, educators, and school staff including exposure to asbestos, mold and lead, improperly heated and cooled buildings during multiple seasons; and
WHEREAS, In 2023, seven schools in Philadelphia closed due to the discovery of asbestos, and nearly 100 schools dismissed early due to inability to cool temperatures in extreme heat; and
WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the country, primarily from burning fossil fuels, and was recently ranked 45th in renewable energy production among states; and
WHEREAS, Local communities need family-sustaining jobs as cities and towns across the Commonwealth are affected by inflation, cost of living increases, shrinking tax bases, and rising energy costs; and
WHEREAS, Solar for Schools would create a grant program to fund solar installation at public K-12 schools, career and technical schools, and community colleges by covering 50% of project costs and providing technical support, while the 2022 Federal Inflation Reduction Act offers federal tax credits covering 30-50% of the cost of solar installation with full value direct payments; and
WHEREAS, Schools in Pennsylvania using solar panels to generate power are already saving hundreds of thousands and in many cases, several million dollars, in energy costs over the life of solar projects; and
WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Energy Authority, established ...
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