Stout, Solobay & White Announce Funding for Area Attraction

HARRISBURG, January 29, 2009 – State Sen. J. Barry Stout, State Rep. Tim Solobay and Rep. Jesse White (all D-Washington) today announced a $271,391 state grant for the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, Inc. in Washington County, producing one of the world’s first solar-powered trolley lines in the world.

“This funding for the Trolley Museum will enhance tourism in our area, help the Museum save electric costs and reduce the Museum’s emissions,” Stout said. “Funding like this is critical as we climb out of this recession.”

Stout said the funding will go to the Museum’s “Solar-Powered Streetcar Project.” This funding will allow the Museum to replace some of their current system with a 36 kW solar photovoltaic system. Solar energy will be used in displaying the Museum’s collection of vintage electric railway vehicles and for the operation of some of a two-mile demonstration railway. This project will produce one of the first solar-powered trolley lines in the world.

“Pennsylvania has a history of being on the cutting edge of new energy,” Solobay said. “We were a leader in coal, and now with this project we can show the nation that we are a leader in the next generation of sustainable energy sources.”

According to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, the project will save $5,300 in electric costs in 2010. It will also decrease the amount of kilowatts that will be placed on the energy system, reducing carbon, sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide.

“The trolley museum continues to be an asset for our region, both in historical preservation terms and in attracting tourism locally,” White said. “In these tough economic times, there’s no question that this funding will attract much more attention to the museum and draw more visitors to the area while reducing energy costs and playing a role in improving the environment.”

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum’s mission is to communicate the story of Pennsylvania's Trolley Era to a diverse audience through the preservation, interpretation, and use of its collection of electric railway and railroad equipment, associated artifacts and photo/document archives, and to ensure that its visitors have an enjoyable and rewarding educational experience. The Museum hosts 24,000 visitors a year and is run by 150-plus volunteers.

“We are thrilled to receive this grant since it will allow us to partially power our vintage electric streetcars and light our trolley display building using solar energy,” Scott Becker, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, said. “We believe that this will be the first solar-powered streetcar installation and will enhance our educational programming as well as help us to market the museum as a unique “green” attraction. We sincerely appreciate the Commonwealth’s support of this important project.”

Construction is set to begin in the spring of 2009 and be completed in the summer of 2009.

The grant was provided through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Energy Harvest Program. This program finances the implementation of clean and renewable-energy technologies that have measurable benefits in terms of pollution reduction, environmental quality and reduced energy use.

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