The Mineral Basin solar project will receive $90 million from Energy department grant program funded by Casey-backed infrastructure law
Casey lobbied the Department of Energy in support of the project, which will build clean energy facilities on former mine lands and create hundreds of union jobs in North Central PA
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced that Mineral Basin Solar, a historic utility-scale solar project in Clearfield County, PA, has been awarded $90 million to build solar facilities on former mine lands. Senator Casey advocated to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the Mineral Basin solar project, which is expected to produce enough energy to power 70,000 homes per year.
“The coal communities of Central Pennsylvania have powered the industrial development of our Nation. With this investment, they’ll continue to do so long into the future,” said Senator Casey. “This grant is not only a major step towards building the clean energy economy, but a signal that Pennsylvania’s energy communities will lead the way for years to come.”
The funding came from DOE’s Clean Energy Demonstration Program on Current and Former Mind Land (CEML) Grant Program which was established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Senator Casey also fought to pass the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which included his provision to provide a tax credit for clean energy projects built in energy communities like those in Central Pennsylvania. A recent report shows that, since the passage of the IRA, energy communities are leading the Nation in new clean energy investment.
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