Did you hear? The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced it has secured a $1.96 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop Pennsylvania-specific outreach and education materials to help communities build out clean, renewable energy projects.
The Renewable Energy Siting through Technical Engagement and Planning program (R-STEP) will help communities plan renewable energy projects that can lower utility costs and fight climate change.
The R-STEP program aims to increase renewable energy development with more community buy-in and science-based siting for proposed projects.
As the grant recipient, DEP along with a project team from the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS), Penn State Extension Energy Team, and Penn State Center for Energy Law and Policy will develop materials that help guide local governments — covering topics like state and federal permitting, community engagement, and local zoning.
Since 2021, DEP has collaborated with the Pennsylvania R-STEP team, investing $270,000 from the State Energy Program (SEP) to provide training and technical assistance to local government officials on planning, siting, and permitting large-scale renewable energy projects.
DEP has conducted 26 listening sessions, reaching over 650 officials across all regions of the Commonwealth. These county-level sessions have offered local government practitioners to the opportunity to ask questions about the development of large-scale solar projects and understand the necessary steps to ensure responsible and sustainable implementation.
Topics covered in these sessions include:
land use and zoning ordinances
site engineering and
development and decommissioning requirements
This initiative also led to the development of the Municipal Officials’ Guide to Grid-Scale Solar Development in Pennsylvania.
With the R-STEP award, DEP will be able to expand this effort to reach more Pennsylvania communities and residents.