Carlisle council hears calls to back community solar, to consider municipal aggregation

Residents and a council member urged Carlisle Borough to back municipal steps that would broaden residentsaccess to renewable electricity.

At the start of the public-comment period, Jen McDuffie of 702 North Pitt Street asked the borough to sign a model resolution circulated by Third Act PA supporting House Bill 504, which she said had passed the Pennsylvania House and was awaiting action in the state Senate. McDuffie said community solar would let renters and owners with shaded or south‑facing limitations buy into off‑site solar generation and called the effort a fairness issue: "community solar would correct this inequity," she said. She delivered Third Act PAmaterials to borough staff for the record.

Councilor Shiles later introduced two related items on the workshop agenda: a resolution urging the Commonwealthlegislature to pass House Bill 504 to authorize community energy programs, and a resolution authorizing Carlisle to participate in the Pennsylvania Electricity Plan Collaborative. Shiles said the collaborative would let the borough join other municipalities in issuing a joint RFP for a renewable energy supplier and offer voluntary aggregation to residents, potentially lowering rates and smoothing short‑term pricing spikes. He described the two items as "compatible" and said they would be acted on at the next meeting.

Shiles told council that aggregation could prevent residents from being pushed into short‑term or introductory offers on PA PowerSwitch and could help the borough manage price exposure as regional demand rises. Mayor Schultz noted a blank in the draft aggregation resolution for naming a borough representative and suggested appointing Councilor Shiles if he is willing to act as the boroughrepresentative at preliminary meetings.

No formal action was taken at the workshop. Shiles said there is an informal meeting scheduled for the collaborative and that the council would formally act on the two resolutions at the next council meeting.