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As the Williamsport Sun-Gazette reported in Tuesday's edition, officials are seeing more proposals for solar energy projects in Pennsylvania and neighboring states.
If the new interest in solar projects envisions solar power as a way of augmenting traditional sources of energy, diversifying how we power Pennsylvania and curtailing reliance on one source of energy, we all should be happy about these developments.
But if the interest is rooted in the idea that some time soon, Pennsylvania will be able to rely on solar as the one major source of energy for a grid that lacks the sort of diversity we need, we fear its proponents are being naive and irresponsible.
We still have not seen evidence that battery capacity is advanced and affordable enough for a primarily-solar approach to work. We still have unanswered concerns that solar power is inconsistent enough for us to be that reliant upon.
And so, even as we welcome more solar development, we hope our officials still recognize the importance and the potential for conventional sources of energy, most specifically natural gas.
Some of our neighboring states have been irrationally hostile to developing natural gas. We hope the interest in solar energy -- on its own merits a laudable development -- does not help foster that sort of hostility here.
Natural gas, a cleaner source of energy than coal that creates jobs and investment in Pennsylvania, remains an important aspect of our energy future. Natural gas and solar power can both be Pennsylvanian success stories.