Solar-power financing approved for Pa.

HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania's long-stalled solar-rebate program will soon have funding.

The Commonwealth Financing Authority voted today to borrow $30 million to get the Pennsylvania Sunshine Program under way. Subsequent financing should bring that program's total to $100 million.

The program, enacted in July as part of Gov. Rendell's $650 million Alternative Energy Funding Act, would provide rebates to homeowners and small businesses to partially cover the cost of installing a solar-power system.

The state Department of Environmental Protection, which will be running this program, said applications should be available within two weeks.

"We think this is the front edge of a huge development of renewable energy in Pennsylvania," said Dan Griffiths, deputy secretary at the DEP.

The state heard from a few contractors during a work session this morning.

Among them was Jeremy Klotz, 44, of South Philadelphia, who was laid off three weeks ago from a solar company that had expanded months ago in anticipation of Sunshine Program funds that never came.

"If this [funding] had passed, I may be working right now," Klotz said.