Photo voltaic At Presque Isle: DCNR Celebrates Seashore 8 Photo voltaic Arrays – Melissas Meals Freedom

Press launch shared by the Pennsylvania PressroomJune 7, 2024. Photograph courtesy of Division of Conservation and Pure Sources.

Division of Conservation and Pure Sources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn not too long ago visited Presque Isle State Park to have a good time newly put in photo voltaic arrays that produce sufficient renewable vitality to energy the peninsula on the park.

Governor Josh Shapiro not too long ago unveiled the Commonwealth’s renewable vitality initiative, the Pennsylvania Undertaking to Make the most of Mild and Photo voltaic Vitality (PA PULSE), to safe 50 p.c of the vitality wanted energy the Commonwealth’s authorities from 10 new photo voltaic arrays round Pennsylvania by subsequent yr, making it a nationwide chief in clear vitality.

The Division of Conservation and Pure Sources is taking an identical step at Presque Isle with a 280kW photo voltaic cover array over the parking zone at Seashore 8 that may save the division — and taxpayers — greater than $30,000 on electrical energy yearly whereas producing sufficient vitality to energy 25 common American houses.

The photo voltaic array helps cut back the division’s carbon footprint by greater than 211,000 kilos a yr, or the equal of eradicating 20 passenger automobiles from the street yearly.

“These photo voltaic arrays will present 100% of the peninsula’s vitality going ahead and I’m so glad to be right here in the present day delivering on our web zero electrical energy promise from practically three years in the past,” Dunn stated. “It is a massive win for park guests who now have a shady space to park, for operations at Presque Isle, and for the setting by means of a greener method to energy its grid. Thanks the division’s Bureau of Facility Development and Design Crew, Presque Isle State Park workers, regional workers, our sustainability staff, and everybody who helped make our most visited state park a dwelling instance of sustainability.”

The Division of Conservation and Pure Sources plans to derive 50 p.c of its electrical from renewable vitality sources by 2030which shall be completed largely by means of photo voltaic arrays.

“We proceed to work to make this park a extra environmentally pleasant place to go to and are hopeful that the general public sees the worth of renewable vitality and sustainable options,” Division of Conservation and Pure Sources Director of Utilized Local weather Science Greg Czarnecki stated. “We have now thrilling and difficult work forward within the sustainability house and Presque Isle stays a pacesetter amongst our state park system.”

Dunn pointed to a few public electrical automobile charging stations at Seashore 8, and the addition of a plugin hybrid minivan and electrical motorbike added to Presque Isle’s automobile fleet on the time of the 2021 announcement of the Seashore 8 photo voltaic array and Presque Isle’s sustainability plan.

Different enhancements from the plan included:​

• Rain gardens at Seashore 8
• Shoreline enhancements to guard infrastructure
• Buy of property to the south of the park, together with a portion of the badly eroding Scott Run
• Modifications to the park’s wastewater system
• Set up of extensions to the floating dock pilings within the marina to account for fluctuating water ranges
• Presque Isle is the primary state park to undertake a site-specific local weather change plan.

Extreme climate, flooding, fluctuating lake ranges, diminished water high quality, shoreline erosion, infrastructure harm, and different threats to customer and workers security served because the impetus for the plan.

The proactive measures to deal with local weather change and to scale back vitality consumption will assist mitigate these projected results and make sure the park stays open to the tens of millions who go to every year.

The Division of Conservation and Pure Sources is working to include sustainable designs and licensed high-performance constructing requirements into newly constructed and renovated buildings, which incorporates the Tom Ridge Environmental Middle at Presque Isle.

Different deliberate sustainability initiatives for division properties consists of further photo voltaic arrays, electrical automobile charging stations, discount of inner combustion engine passenger automobiles throughout the company’s fleet, and extra.

Be taught concerning the Division of Conservation and Pure Sources local weather and sustainability initiatives on the company web site and take a look at the division’s Calendar of Occasions​ for occasions on public lands.

MEDIA CONTACT: Wesley Robinson717-877-6315