(The Center Square) – Many of Pennsylvania’s warehouses are already “smart,” using robotics and advanced technology to increase efficiency.
With new legislation in both chambers of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the warehouses may soon become a little greener.
“Over the last decade, demand for e-commerce has reshaped our economy, our logistics industry, and the physical landscape of the Commonwealth,” Sens. Nikil Saval, D-Philadelphia, and Carolyn Comitta, D-West Chester, wrote in a memo introducing the bill.
The development hasn’t always been a welcome one, with communities objecting to the increase of traffic brought on by logistics operations. Neighbors complain about their appearance, the light and noise pollution they produce, and their impact on the environment.
Yet, demand from online shopping was enough to encourage the proliferation of warehouses which promised to employ individuals in the very same towns hit hardest by the shift away from local business. Even as automation, robotics, and AI reduce the demand for labor, jobs within the industry remain plentiful.
With tariffs, trade wars, and economic uncertainty, many see the warehouses as the physical reminder of an economic bubble poised to burst at any moment. Others see drone deliveries and advances in AI as indicators that the demand for convenience will only continue to grow.
In either case, the state has invested in hundreds of millions of square feet of flat-roofed monoliths. Renewable energy advocates like Saval and Comitta see the buildings as an opportunity to generate more energy from solar power.
The senators’ legislation proposed Tuesday would incentivize warehouse operators to use their ample roof space for solar. It mirrors one put forward in the House by Rep. Joshua Seigel, D-Allentown in April. His bill was assigned to the Energy committee where it currently awaits consideration.
The bill would require new warehouses to be built solar-ready. It would provide tax credits for existing warehouses to retrofit their roofs to become solar-ready. The House bill requires a minimum 40% of roof space to be usable for solar. The Department of Environmental Protection would be responsible for overseeing the mandate, and companies could be fined up to $100,000 per violation.
“Pennsylvanians are facing skyrocketing electricity costs because we are far too reliant on fossil fuels,” said Patrick McDonnell, president & CEO of PennFuture, an environmental advocacy group working with legislators to advance the bills. “This legislation will ensure that millions of square feet will be made available to clean energy that will diversify our grid, create jobs, and lower costs for residents. Warehouses and distribution centers can be part of a broader solution to our energy needs while providing these facilities with a potential revenue stream and this legislation ensures that those opportunities are not lost.”
