Calling on the Pennsylvania General Assembly to adopt the Solar for Schools Act (House Bill 1032) and thanking Representative Fiedler for her commitment to reducing the energy costs of public schools, expanding renewable energy production, and creating family-sustaining jobs for Pennsylvanians.

Calling on the Pennsylvania General Assembly to adopt the Solar for Schools Act (House Bill 1032) and thanking Representative Fiedler for her commitment to reducing the energy costs of public schools, expanding renewable energy production, and creating family-sustaining jobs for Pennsylvanians. WHEREAS, School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington recently estimated the District’s capital program needs at $5 billion dollars; and WHEREAS, Deferred building maintenance has already resulted in health and safety issues for students, educators, and school staff including exposure to asbestos, mold and lead, improperly heated and cooled buildings during multiple seasons; and WHEREAS, In 2023, seven schools in Philadelphia closed due to the discovery of asbestos, and nearly 100 schools dismissed early due to inability to cool temperatures in extreme heat; and WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the country, primarily from burning fossil fuels, and was recently ranked 45th in renewable energy production among states; and WHEREAS, Local communities need family-sustaining jobs as cities and towns across the Commonwealth are affected by inflation, cost of living increases, shrinking tax bases, and rising energy costs; and WHEREAS, Solar for Schools would create a grant program to fund solar installation at public K-12 schools, career and technical schools, and community colleges by covering 50% of proje…