With over 15 gigawatts of grid-scale solar projects in Pennsylvania in different phases of review in the PJM New Services Queue including 2.1 gigawatts with an executed interconnection agreement, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will see a massive expansion in the deployment of these types of installations over the next decade. Preliminary analyses based on available data gleaned from the queue indicates a majority of these projects will be sited on “greenfield” locations, including land currently used for agricultural purposes. Additionally, analysis is required to explore what factors need to be present to direct this type of development to previously impacted sites, such as current and former mine lands.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Energy Programs Office (EPO) has commissioned an Assessment of Opportunities for Grid-Scale Solar Development on Previously Impacted Mine Lands in Pennsylvania of to address the following issues:
- Explore in-depth the different challenges associated with siting grid-scale solar development on previously mined lands,
- Gain a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the different stakeholders involved in the development process,
- Identify factors leading to successful deployments of grid-scale solar project projects in Pennsylvania and other states on previously mined lands,
- Develop actionable recommendations to improve the processes and other factors involved in siting grid-scale solar projects on previously mined lands.
To support the development of this assessment, the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR) will provide stakeholder engagement activities to disseminate findings and recommendations.