The Center for Environment, Energy, and Economy (E3) at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology has added another special event to its Distinguished Lecture Series on Climate Disruption and Sustainable Development.
On Tuesday, April 23, 2019, R. Brent Alderfer, President, Community Energy, Inc., will discuss “The New Economics of Solar Power” from 11:30AM-1:00PM at Harrisburg University’s main campus in downtown Harrisburg.
With 70 to 80% cost reductions since 2010, solar photovoltaic electricity technology has transformed the economics of power generation. Efficiency improvements in solar cell performance, manufacturing processes and field installation, combined with economies of scale at each stage, have ushered in the era of competitive solar power.
Now the fastest growing source of electric generation capacity globally, solar power has climbed quickly from fractional percentages of power a few years back to grid-scale development providing real-world data for the smooth integration and potential of this fuel-free resource. The results in the mid-Atlantic are surprisingly favorable for both reliability and cost of power for consumers small and large. Rounding out the economic picture are impressive statistics on private capital investment, rural economic development, farmer income, tax revenues and jobs that come from building out the new solar technology.
Community Energy, based in Radnor, Pennsylvania, recently succeeded in a competitive procurement process to provide 22 percent of the entire City of Philadelphia’s governmental electricity needs. The deal is one of the biggest ever between an American city and a clean-energy provider. Community Energy will build solar panels on open space in Adams County in south central Pennsylvania, providing land lease payments to a Pennsylvania farmer and local property tax income. The project will be by far the largest solar array in the state – in fact, seven times larger than the next biggest solar array in Pennsylvania
Brent Alderfer, President, Community Energy, Inc.
Brent Alderfer is CEO and Founder of Community Energy, Inc., with a 20-year track record developing renewable energy projects with a company committed to climate change solutions in the power industry. The company led the expansion of wind generation a decade ago in the Northeast and led the introduction of large-scale solar in the eastern and midwestern markets west into the Rocky Mountain region. The company has developed 700 megawatts of wind and 800 megawatts of solar across the country and leads in development of reliable renewable energy projects at scale.
Prior to forming Community Energy Inc., Brent served as a Colorado Public Utility Commissioner and became a national spokesperson for renewable energy. Brent holds an electrical engineering degree from Northeastern University, 1974, and a law degree from Georgetown University, 1977.
The event is free and open to the public, and will take place at Harrisburg University’s 14th floor auditorium on its main campus in downtown Harrisburg. The event will run from 11:30AM to 1:00PM. From 11:30AM to noon, there will be networking and a complimentary lunch for all attendees. The lecture will begin at noon with time for Q&A following. The event will be moderated by John Quigley, Director of HU’s Center for E3.
