Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania solar projects held up by federal probe, group says | StateImpact Pennsylvania
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Rachel McDevitt
Rachel McDevitt is a reporter for StateImpact Pennsylvania at WITF.Rachel joined WITF in 2017 because the host of All Issues Thought-about. She beforehand reported for WITF’s Radio Pennsylvania Community, the place her work earned the Nationwide Affiliation of State Radio Community’s award for finest function two years in a row. The western Pennsylvania native began her journalism profession with the CBS affiliate in Bridgeport, West Virginia. Rachel is a graduate of Temple College.
Rachel McDevitt / StateImpact Pennsylvania
This photo voltaic area in Lurgan Township, Franklin County offers energy to Penn State. Panels are seen right here on Nov. 24, 2020.
A photo voltaic business commerce group is warning the specter of tariffs on imported panels is already beginning to have an effect on companies within the commonwealth and throughout the nation.
The U.S. Commerce Division is looking for out if China is avoiding tariffs on photo voltaic panels by establishing factories in 4 nations in Southeast Asia.
Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam provide the U.S. with the majority of its photo voltaic supplies. If these nations fall topic to tariffs, business teams say that can damage efforts to extend solar energy right here.
The Photo voltaic Power Industries Affiliation surveyed greater than 700 corporations throughout the nation for the reason that investigation was introduced in March.
In Pennsylvania, it discovered 79 % of responding corporations have had panel shipments delayed or canceled. The provision chain for about half of the state’s utility-scale photo voltaic initiatives is disrupted.
SEIA stated 330 megawatts value of initiatives have been delayed or canceled within the commonwealth.
Pennsylvania has a complete technology capability of greater than 48,000 MW. It takes 1 MW to energy about 200 properties.
SEAI stated added taxes may price the business as much as 100,000 jobs nationwide.
It additionally claimed tariffs will trigger photo voltaic capability to fall wanting Biden’s objective to get the nation to 100% carbon-free electrical energy by 2035.
The Biden Administration didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Some Pennsylvania communities have been grappling with whether or not they need to welcome massive photo voltaic initiatives.
Whereas a couple of have gone up with no debate, others have drawn a dividing line between neighbors.
Supervisors in Mount Pleasure Township, close to Gettysburg, voted final yr to disclaim a key allow to a deliberate 75 MW venture. In Lebanon County, North Annville Township Supervisors voted this month to not enable a similarly-sized venture there.
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