Pallone Announces Guest for State of the Union Address
Washington, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced today that Luis Acosta will join him at President Biden’s State of the Union Address this week. A resident of Perth Amboy and a Health and Physical Education teacher at Edward J. Patton Elementary School, Acosta participates in a local community solar program through New Jersey-based renewable energy company Solar Landscape.
Solar Landscape builds solar installations on commercial rooftops that distribute clean and renewable electricity to local households. In 2021, Acosta signed up for one of the company’s programs that delivers electricity to his home, saving his family an estimated $200 per year on their electric bill. Acosta, his wife Esleydy, and Solar Landscape leaders will tour the Capitol and meet with Congressman Pallone before the President’s speech at 9pm EST on Thursday.
“I’m proud to have Luis Acosta join me for President Biden’s State of the Union Address this year. His experience is a great example of the progress we’ve made to both combat the climate crisis and lower costs for American families,” Pallone said. “Thanks to companies like Solar Landscape, New Jersey is leading the way on the path toward a clean, low-carbon future. As the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, I’ll continue to advocate for investments to bolster our transition to a clean economy.”
“It is an honor to join Congressman Pallone for President Biden’s State of the Union Address. As a father and teacher, I’m deeply concerned about the impact of climate change on our community and our children’s future. I often incorporate lessons about the climate crisis and the importance of taking steps to lower our carbon footprint as part of a healthy future when I teach,” Acosta said. “Thanks to Congressman Pallone’s leadership and the Biden Administration’s investments in renewable energy projects, my family is able to save money each month and know we’re doing our part to help reduce carbon emissions.”
“Community solar is a powerful way to reduce energy costs, create jobs, and fight climate change, and we're just getting started,” said Solar Landscape President and Chief Legal Officer Mark Schottinger. “Thanks to Congressman Pallone's instrumental role in the creation and passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, community solar subscribers like Luis Acosta are now powering their homes with clean energy at a guaranteed discount. Soon, we'll be powering roughly 80,000 households with locally generated solar, and at least half of those households will be lower-income families.”
Solar Landscape is a national leader in community solar and job training programs that utilized tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act to develop renewable energy projects. The company also received an Advancing Equity Through Workforce Partnership award worth $850,000 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expand solar installation job training and education.
In November, Pallone joined a cord connection event with local elected officials in Woodbridge and Solar Landscape to launch a new solar energy project that will provide eligible households in New Jersey with affordable, clean energy. This community solar project will save households in the area an estimated $160 per year on their utility bills.
The project officially made New Jersey home to the largest number of community solar projects for low- and moderate-income families in the country. Solar Landscape has 50 operational community solar projects, bringing affordable community solar to over 10,000 New Jersey households and saving them an estimated $2 million per year on their home energy bills. The Biden Administration has a goal to save 5 million households $1 billion on their bills by 2025 with community solar.