PRINTER'S NO. 3810
No. 2567 Session of 2006
INTRODUCED BY LEACH, THOMAS, BELARDI, BELFANTI, BEYER,
CALTAGIRONE, CAWLEY, COHEN, CURRY, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL,
FREEMAN, GERBER, GOODMAN, HARHAI, JAMES, JOSEPHS, MANDERINO,
McGEEHAN, MICOZZIE, MUNDY, PISTELLA, READSHAW, SCHRODER,
SIPTROTH, B. SMITH, STURLA, SURRA, TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR,
J. TAYLOR, VITALI, WALKO, YOUNGBLOOD, YUDICHAK AND PALLONE,
APRIL 3, 2006
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY,
APRIL 3, 2006
AN ACT
1 Directing the Department of General Services to study the
2 economic and technical feasibility of installing a solar
3 power system on certain buildings.
4 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
5 (1) According to the Florida Solar Energy Center at the
6 University of Central Florida, solar energy is a renewable
7 resource that is environmentally friendly, available in
8 almost every locale on Earth and immune to rising energy
9 prices.
10 (2) The United States Department of Energy's National
11 Renewable Energy Laboratory reports that if we converted just
12 0.2% of the solar radiation that falls on our nation into
13 usable energy, the energy demand of the entire United States
14 would be met.
15 (3) The Governor's Green Government Council's 2005-2006
1 Green Plan indicates that collaborative efforts between State
2 agencies are making important strides toward a sustainable
3 Pennsylvania through consideration and implementation of
4 green technology, planning and management in building
5 construction, energy conservation, land use, procurement,
6 recycling and transportation.
7 (4) The council and State agency Green Teams have
8 advocated for the usage of many different types of
9 sustainable power sources including wind, solar radiation,
10 geothermal energy, biofuels and hydroelectricity.
11 (5) The statistics in paragraph (2), as well as other
12 solar energy studies and data published by Federal agencies
13 and higher education institutions, provide clear evidence
14 that the wider usage and generation of solar power in this
15 Commonwealth is a worthy goal.
16 (6) The Commonwealth has already installed solar power
17 systems on at least three State-owned buildings and is
18 considering additional projects utilizing the technology.
19 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
20 hereby enacts as follows:
21 Section 1. Short title.
22 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Solar Power
23 System Technical Feasibility Study Act.
24 Section 2. Study.
25 The Department of General Services shall study the economic
26 and technical feasibility of installing a solar power system on
27 all new State-constructed and partially State-funded buildings,
28 including State office buildings, schools, prisons and State
29 hospitals.
30 Section 3. Report.
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1 The Department of General Services shall report its findings
2 and recommendation for a plan of implementation to the Governor
3 and the General Assembly no later than November 30, 2006.
4 Section 4. Effective date.
5 This act shall take effect immediately.
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