On December 8, 2020, the Pennsylvania Energy Programs Office’s (EPO) Energy Development Authority (PEDA) awarded a total of over $1.7 million in grants to eleven different energy efficiency and renewable energy projects across the state. The grants, which will go to five businesses, two municipalities, two school districts, and two nonprofit organizations, are designed to help restart energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that were stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The key attribute connecting all of these projects is that they were stalled due to a myriad of factors and, due to financial uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic, were very likely not going to be completed. This funding, which is advance pay grant funding, immediately gets these projects and their contractors back to work, and ensures that the work accomplished on these clean energy projects prior to being stalled does not go to waste because of the pandemic. The awardees represent a diverse set of partners: they are located in urban and rural areas in eight counties, and seven of the projects also serve environmental justice communities. Projects funded through the grants included high-performance buildings, electric vehicle charging stations, energy-efficient lighting upgrades, and solar arrays.
The ability of PEDA and EPO to restart these projects throughout the state is a clear example of how State Energy Offices are making a significant impact towards the nation’s ability to recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic. For additional information, please contact the Energy Programs Office through this website.