DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — The Steelton-Highspire School District is acting as a model for Pennsylvania lawmakers for how schools can transition to solar power.

The school district finished a solar panel field about a year ago and now uses exclusively solar power.

State Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler (D) is proposing a “solar for schools” grant program to help other school districts follow in Steelton-Highspire’s path.

“It’s really to help bring back federal dollars from D.C. to help schools afford to be able to put in solar panels, and then the schools, the local municipalities, get to reap all the financial benefits, the huge savings that we heard about today,” said Fiedler.

The solar field in Steelton is already saving the school district more than $13,000 annually.

“As an underfunded, urban school district, the Steelton-Highspire School District supports innovative ways to offset expenditures that will directly support our students,” said Steelton-Highspire School District Superintendent Mick Iskric. “Our solar energy project directly offsets 100% of the district’s electric energy use. Utilizing solar to support our Clean School Bus initiative of seven electric school buses will continue the school districts mission to reduce our carbon footprint as well as continue to offset daily expenditures.”