Patton, PA – On Monday, Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Jessica Shirley joined the statewide environmental nonprofit PennEnvironment for a tour of the solar array at Prince Gallitzin State Park in Cambria County. More than 60 community members, Cambria Heights High School students, and local leaders attended the event to learn how solar energy projects like this one are helping state parks save money, reduce pollution, and move the Commonwealth closer to net-zero energy use.
Here’s what leaders are saying about this project at Prince Gallitzin State Park:
DCNR Secretary Dunn: “DCNR is committed to leading by example when it comes to sustainability and clean energy. As Pennsylvania’s largest public land manager, we have a responsibility to operate efficiently, reduce our carbon footprint, and show what’s possible when renewable energy and conservation go hand in hand. Projects like the Prince Gallitzin solar array demonstrate how we can save taxpayer dollars, support local clean energy jobs, and protect our natural resources for future generations. By incorporating solar and other energy innovations across state parks and forests, we’re building a cleaner, stronger, and more resilient Pennsylvania.”
DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley: “Clean, renewable energy like solar helps reduce air pollution, fights climate change, and helps meet our growing electricity needs. In May, the Commonwealth reached the momentous milestone of 2 gigawatts of installed solar energy, and in the months since an additional 160 megawatts have come online, enough capacity to power around 377,000 homes. Putting more solar power onto the grid is part of Governor Josh Shapiro’s Lightning Plan — an all of the above energy plan to create jobs, lower energy costs for consumers, and fight climate change.”
PennEnvironment Clean Energy Associate Carolena Bellini: “This solar array isn’t just a model for how public lands across PA and the nation can go solar. It is also a reminder that with creativity and drive, we can jumpstart local homegrown renewable solar projects on schools, churches, warehouses, homes, or other ingenious sites.”
Cambria County Commissioner Tom Chernisky: “The project reflects the best of Pennsylvania—innovation, stewardship, and teamwork. When we invest in renewable energy, we invest in clean air, healthier communities, and a brighter future for everyone who loves Prince Gallitzin State Park or any of our state parks. This project of solar panels and EV chargers is saving taxpayer dollars and reducing the carbon footprint. This is a win-win for taxpayers and the environment. This project will continue to help Prince Gallitzin State Park and Cambria County—a great place to live, work, invest, volunteer, and play.”
Cambria County Commissioner Keith Rager: “The sky is our future. If it means reducing taxpayer money, and it means less taxes on me and these young folk [coming from Cambria Heights High School], that's what I want to do.”
See what Pennsylvanians are reading and watching about this project at Prince Gallitzin State Park:
WTAJ: Prince Gallitzin State Park showcases new solar arrays
WJAC: PA continues push for solar energy growth with new installations at Prince Gallitzin
Tribune-Democrat: Prince Gallitzin tour highlights solar power savings, potential to lower energy costs
Altoona Mirror: Shining a light on solar: Students get a close-up look at array responsible for cutting electricity costs at Prince Gallitzin State Park
CNHI News: Prince Gallitzin tour highlights solar power savings, potential to lower energy costs
DCNR’s Solar and Clean Energy Efforts
DCNR installed the solar array at Prince Gallitzin State Park in August 2024 — the agency’s largest to date — as part of a growing portfolio of 37 solar arrays across state parks and forests that offset energy use, lower carbon pollution, and save taxpayer dollars.
At Prince Gallitzin, the ground-mounted array reduces greenhouse gas pollution by about 700 tons annually and saves roughly $100,000 each year in electricity costs — savings that have been reinvested in park improvements such as new picnic tables and grills, roof repairs, and an electric bike for rangers. The array offsets most of the park’s electricity use, including the two public EV charging stations at the Marina Boathouse.
As Pennsylvania’s largest public landowner, DCNR manages 124 state parks and 2.2 million acres of state forests — which are free and open to the public — and incorporates climate adaptation and mitigation into everyday operations through renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, vehicle emissions reduction, and natural resource stewardship.
DCNR gets sustainability done by prioritizing efficient operations to strengthen conservation and climate resilience for the Commonwealth. The agency’s commitment to responsible energy use includes:
- 37 solar installations in operation, with 20 more in development
- 112 EV charging plugs at 50 locations
- More than $30 million invested in energy-saving infrastructure that will pay for itself within 20 years
- By 2035, DCNR aims to generate or procure all electricity from carbon-free sources
Beyond the technology and savings, DCNR’s work supports local jobs in clean energy, forest management, and recreation-based tourism, while educating and empowering Pennsylvanians to build a resilient, sustainable future.
DEP’s Solar and Clean Energy Efforts
Pennsylvania recently surpassed 2 gigawatts of installed solar capacity — only 17 months after crossing the 1-gigawatt mark — reflecting the rapid growth of solar energy under the Shapiro Administration.
DEP is helping drive this progress through Governor Shapiro’s proposed Lightning Plan, which would create or protect more than 15,000 Pennsylvania jobs, save consumers over $660 million by 2040, and generate more than $11 billion in clean, reliable energy investments.
Updates proposed through the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS) would modernize the state’s clean energy requirements and incentivize more renewable generation as part of Pennsylvania’s electricity mix.
DEP is also advancing programs such as Community Energy projects, which would allow residents and local governments to invest in shared solar installations, and the proposed Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction (PACER) program, which would establish a cap-and-invest system to limit carbon emissions and lower electricity costs. Under PACER, 70 percent of revenue generated would be returned directly to Pennsylvanians as rebates on their electric bills.
DEP remains committed to protecting Pennsylvania’s air, land, and water — and to working with communities, businesses, and organizations to build a cleaner, more sustainable future for generations to come.
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