Keystone Solar Farm, Lancaster, PA, operated by Community Energy Solar, which will build a new solar farm in Adams County, PA, to generate energy for the City of Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, PA—Radnor, PA-based clean energy developer Community Energy will purchase 70 megawatts of solar power for power government facilities in Philadelphia under a Power Purchase Agreement with a solar farm in Adams County, PA.

The solar farm, named Adams Solar, will produce enough electricity to operate 22 percent of Philadelphia government buildings by 2020. The project is seven times larger than the next largest solar installation, and marks a significant step toward the city's clean energy goal of sourcing 100 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2030.

Community Energy is a clean-energy project developer that fosters long-term relationships with customers and stakeholders to deliver low-risk, customer-focused clean energy solutions.

Adams Solar will sell 100 percent of its power under a 20-year contract to The Philadelphia Energy Authority, an independent city agency. The project will generate 156,000 megawatt hours of energy in the first year of operation, eliminating more than 4 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the life of the project.

“The Philadelphia solar commitment demonstrates impressive and much-needed leadership on climate change in Pennsylvania,” says Brent Alderfer, Community Energy CEO and co-founder. “As the costs of climate change go up, Philadelphia is showing the way for municipalities to secure reliable, long-term solar power to decarbonize and head off irreversible climate damage.”

An Economic Opportunity Plan (EOP) will use best efforts to incorporate minority, women and disabled-person owned businesses into the Adams Solar project. Job fairs for sub-contractors and the workforce will be held in both Philadelphia and Adams County. Community Energy's efforts will connect to existing solar training opportunities, such as recent Philadelphia Energy Authority initiatives.

This latest large-scale solar project by Community Energy reflects shifting energy production and sourcing trends that extend well beyond the state of Pennsylvania. According to a report by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association, constituents are calling on government officials to set renewable energy goals that will bring reliable, climate-friendly energy to their communities. As requests for clean power translate into municipal sustainability goals, the industry is witnessing an acceleration of utility-scale project deployment and that growth is expected to continue.

“This project not only helps Philadelphia demonstrate leadership on climate action, but it also makes good economic sense and helps to boost regional job growth in the renewable energy sector,” says Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. “We thank Councilwoman Reynolds Brown, the Philadelphia Energy Authority, and Community Energy for their partnership in creating this win-win deal for Philadelphians.”

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Solar Energy Generated in Adams County Will Power City of Philadelphia

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