Sen. Corman gets firsthand look at clean energy jobs from local firm

Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman visited Centre County Monday to learn about clean energy jobs.

Corman, R-Benner Township, toured Homeland Manufacturing Services Inc. (which manufactures electronics for a variety of clients, including design engineering firms and government contractors) and met with clean energy advocates.

He had the opportunity to see workers making String Power Optimizers and Transmitters for Alencon Systems.

SPOTs optimize the performance of solar panels, said Hanan Fishman, president of Alencon.

There are almost 70,000 clean energy jobs in Pennsylvania.

That number, according to the Clean Jobs Pennsylvania 2017 report, includes positions where at least some time is dedicated to renewable energy generation, energy efficiency, advanced grid, advanced transportation or clean fuels.

In Centre County, the report says, there are 800 clean energy jobs.

The report is produced by Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) and Keystone Efficiency Alliance.

Alternative and clean energies are important to the economy of the commonwealth and nation, Corman said.

“You want to invest in the future,” he said. “You want to invest in new development. You want to invest in new technologies, which bring better quality of life for our country — whether it be by reducing our fossil fuels or by having better alternatives. We want better alternatives because that’s what ultimately the consumer wants.”

The report found that less than 5 percent of the state’s electricity is generated from renewable sources, compared to 15 percent nationwide.

Pennsylvania is ranked 41st in percent of renewable energy production, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. (Idaho is ranked No. 1, with 100 percent.)

Pennsylvania knows energy — from the timber industry to coal mining, said Sharon Pillar, Pennsylvania consultant for E2.

In 2015, Pennsylvania ranked third in total energy production in the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

“We can also be the clean energy hub,” Pillar said.

This story was originally published September 26, 2017 at 12:27 AM with the headline "Sen. Corman gets firsthand look at clean energy jobs from local firm."