State Rep. Kathy Rapp is right to rattle some cages when it comes to renewable energy. Pennsylvania, for all intents and purposes, is behind the curve when it comes to its push for solar and wind energy.

Neighboring New York has an aggressive agenda to be 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040 and 70% renewable energy by 2030. Many are skeptical on the other side of the border this can happen. In fact, most of New York’s imported power — that goes to Chautauqua County and the western region — comes from a coal-burning plant in Homer City. Just last month, officials at the facility announced it will continue to run at full capacity.

For Chautauqua County, turbines and solar panels are starting to become a common part of the landscape. Take a look on the hills near Sinclairville and outside Fredonia on Route 60 the next time you venture to Buffalo on Interstate 90. Renewables have gained a foothold in the rural Empire State.

Rapp in April revisited her push that would require companies installing alternative energy equipment be responsible to take the equipment down no later than 18 months after the facility has stopped producing electricity.

“With solar and wind farms continuing to permeate our landscape, we must assure that long-term sustainability and reclamation concerns are addressed before it is too late,” Rapp wrote in her legislative memorandum in December. “To do so, I have proposed a plan to assure these facilities are responsibly decommissioned. At this time an old solar panel or decommissioned turbine can be thrown into a landfill while the property leased to these endeavors is left in an unusable state. Landowners need assurance that their leased property will not be marred by the remnants of solar and wind farms 20 years from now, and we should assure that the materials used in these facilities are either reused, reclaimed, or recycled instead of filling landfills and languishing.”

Gov. Tom Wolf in March 2021 announced a major clean energy initiative that will produce nearly 50 percent of state government’s electricity through seven new solar energy arrays totaling 191-megawatts to be built around the state. Part of the governor’s GreenGov initiative, Pennsylvania PULSE (Project to Utilize Light and Solar Energy) will go into operation in January.

“In issuing the GreenGov challenge, I charged state government with leading by example in demonstrating sustainable governance and lowering greenhouse gas emissions to reduce the risks of climate change in Pennsylvania,” Wolf said at the time. “This included significantly reducing energy use and pursuing an ambitious goal of obtaining at least 40 percent of electricity from clean energy generated in state. I commend General Services for their GreenGov leadership in not only meeting this goal but exceeding it.”

On Friday morning, however, his call appeared hollow. Renewable energy accounted for 9% of the state’s electricity. An abundaces of the power supply, according to the PJM grid, came from gas, nuclear and coal. Solar was only 1.2% total.

This proves there’s still a long way to go and 2023 is only seven months away.

John D’Agostino is the editor of the Times Observer, The Post-Journal and OBSERVER in Dunkirk, N.Y. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 814-723-8200, ext. 253.