By Jennifer Monahan
A team of Carnegie Mellon University graduate students is helping nonprofits prepare communities for affordable solar access. In collaboration with Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services, the students created a guide to help expand access to solar energy even before Pennsylvania adopts legislation to make it accessible.
As energy demands rise across the commonwealth, households are expected to face higher utility costs in the coming years, according to Hanna Theile, a graduate student in public policy at CMU’s Heinz College. She explained that the pressure is especially acute for renters, seniors and lower-income families, many of whom can’t access solutions like rooftop solar because they don’t own their homes or can’t afford the up-front costs.
Theile and fellow policy students Maddie Curtis, Edgardo Diaz Velazquez and Belen Torres have been working to address that challenge. The team focused on a central question: How can communities prepare now for a rapidly changing energy future?
Community solar allows multiple households to share the benefits of a single solar installation. Instead of installing panels on individual rooftops, residents subscribe to a shared solar project and receive credits on their electricity bills.
This image was created by Solar United Neighbors and is used with permission.
The model has the potential to lower costs while expanding access to renewable energy.
But in Pennsylvania, the process remains difficult. The state lacks enabling legislation that would create a clear framework for developing community solar projects at scale.
“There’s interest, there are obstacles, and there’s also tremendous need,” said Nathan Porceng, a Skadden Fellow at Fair Shake focused on renewable energy access. “The communities that are most harmed by these cost crises don’t have access to affordable clean energy.”
The student team began the project by studying how rising electricity demand is reshaping Pennsylvania’s energy landscape.
Their research pointed to a growing mismatch between rising demand and affordable energy access. With Pittsburgh continuing to grow as a center for technology, health care and education, energy-intensive industries like data centers are driving major increases in electricity consumption.
CMU students developed resources for improving energy access in Pennsylvania.
The students found that community solar could help stabilize household energy costs, particularly for residents most vulnerable to rising rates. According to the team’s research, community solar subscribers in other states often save between 5% and 15% on electricity bills through shared energy credits.
But the students also discovered that policy alone would not solve the problem.
“Strong enabling legislation is necessary, but it’s not sufficient,” said Torres (MSPPM ‘26). “You also need outreach programs, consumer protection and equity-focused design.”
That realization reshaped the project.
The research shifted from a policy study to a Pennsylvania-focused resource communities could use immediately.
The result was the Community Solar Guidebook for Nonprofits in Pennsylvania, a tool available to the public that combines policy analysis, case studies and implementation strategies.
The guidebook outlines steps nonprofits can take now, including building partnerships, identifying funding opportunities and preparing communities for future legislation. It draws lessons from states with established community solar programs, including Massachusetts, Minnesota and New York.
For Fair Shake, the guidebook created a starting point for organizations trying to navigate an uncertain policy environment.
“It addresses what nonprofits can do right now to try to lay the groundwork,” said Tim Fitchett, supervising attorney and legal education director at Fair Shake in Pittsburgh, “so that when enabling legislation goes through, everybody can hit the ground running.”
The project also emphasized the importance of designing energy solutions around communities that are often excluded from traditional renewable energy programs.
Many households cannot install rooftop solar because they rent their homes or lack the financial resources for upfront installation costs. The students said community solar could help close some of those gaps while strengthening long-term energy resilience.
In Allegheny County, where roughly one-quarter of residents are 65 or older, the team also examined how severe weather and grid disruptions can disproportionately affect older adults and vulnerable populations.
“If you target equity at the forefront, you’re not leaving anyone behind,” said Theile (MSPPM ‘26). “When the storms come, vulnerable communities still have access to power, senior citizens still have food, and people can take care of themselves. Preventative care with energy policy is critical for everyone in our community.”
Those benefits extend beyond lower utility bills. The team explained that community solar is a way to strengthen public health, emergency preparedness and long-term community stability.
“Community solar is a potential solution to a lot of problems,” Curtis (MSPPM ‘26) said. “There are many benefits and not a lot of negatives.”
For the students, the project became an exercise in translating classroom research into practical policy tools communities can use.
The work was completed as part of the students’ capstone project, a cornerstone of the Heinz College curriculum that pairs graduate students with external organizations to solve real-world problems. Over the course of the semester, the team conducted policy research, analyzed energy programs across multiple states and worked directly with Fair Shake to understand the barriers Pennsylvania communities face in accessing affordable clean energy.
“Carnegie Mellon is at the forefront of environmental policy,” said Professor Silvia Borzutzky, who served as faculty advisor for the project. “We have tremendous expertise and effort on environmental issues, and this particular project is a good example of applied policy.” While the classroom curriculum is important, Borzutzky said, “There’s nothing that compares to having to implement and apply what you’ve learned.”
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The collaboration also gave students experience navigating the intersection of public policy, energy systems and community needs, an increasingly important issue as states adapt to growing energy demands driven by AI infrastructure, electrification and climate pressures.
Community solar is not a cure-all for energy poverty, climate change or environmental injustice, Porceng said. But it's a tool that can be part of a larger strategy.
The project reflects a broader challenge facing communities across Pennsylvania and beyond: how to balance rising energy demand, affordability and climate resilience at the same time. For the students, the work became more than an academic exercise. It was an opportunity to help communities prepare for changes that are already underway.
“Imagine the benefits of solar without all the limitations and barriers that come with it,” said Diaz Velazquez (MSPPM ‘26).
Their work will not determine Pennsylvania’s energy policy on its own. But it offers nonprofits and communities a practical roadmap for expanding access to affordable clean energy while larger policy debates continue.
“If Pennsylvania does not take action, you'll see more people fall behind on their bills, more utility service shut-offs,” Porceng said. “The stakes are incredibly high, and action is absolutely needed.”