In Centre County, a solar power purchasing agreement is moving forward, with several government entities considering the proposal, to band together for a long term agreement on future energy costs.
It’s been five years in the making, up to ten Centre County government and municipal groups considering signing on to a proposed 15 year agreement to purchase solar energy
“I don’t think theres any other examples in Pennsylvania of these different governmental entities coming together to pool their purchasing power in ways to defray costs, in quite the way we’ve done this here”
Tuesday, the Centre County Commissioners adopt a resolution supporting the solar purchasing plan.
For the county, it’s envisioned to provide up to 90 percent of county governments power use, while saving the county a projected $450 Thousand Dollars in energy costs over 15 years.
The proposal hasn’t been without controversy, and one issue still to be resolved is the construction of the massive solar array that will provide the power, it’s targeted for a site in Walker Township.
It was the subject of a separate Centre County court suit over zoning issues, but the Township hasn’t fully green lighted the solar project yet
“They have not approved the plan, it’s a conditional use plan. I don’t know the nuances because this is a local issue when it comes to zoning.there was a court case here that went to the courts and it was between the developer
and the township,and the two entities came up with agreements.”
If the agreement is approved, its expected construction of the Walker Township Solar Array would be completed in 2026.