PPL announces support for Solar Scholars program

PENNSYLVANIA - The Sustainable Energy Fund initiative promotes energy education and solar installations, and PPL Electric Utilities will provide $250,000 to help fund 12 solar power systems at Pennsylvania colleges and universities.

The funds will support Solar Scholars, a program run by Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF), a nonprofit organization based in Pennsylvania.

“Support for renewable electricity helps to protect the environment and strengthen our nation’s energy supply,” said Tom Stathos, director of Customer Programs for PPL Electric Utilities. “This initiative will help raise awareness about solar energy among tomorrow’s leaders.”

More than 90 professors and students from 31 universities are expected to attend a Solar Scholars conference run by SEF from July 27 to Aug. 1 at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa. Participants will be invited to apply for grants in the fall to install a photovoltaic system on their campus that generates a minimum of 3 kilowatts.

“Our hope is that these students and professors will go on to become solar champions,” said Jennifer Hopkins, president of SEF. “We want to see renewable energy become an even bigger part of university programs and instruction.”

Sustainable Energy Fund is a private, nonprofit organization that promotes energy efficiency, renewable energy, and energy education initiatives in Pennsylvania, with a focus on eastern and central Pennsylvania.