The intergovernmental solar power purchase agreement (SPPA) will do exactly what it set out to do. It will provide stable and affordable Centre County solar power to our local governments from a Pennsylvania solar company. It has also provided our local governments a way to plan for more rooftop and ground-mounted solar as well as energy efficiency projects that can reduce costs, internalize some electricity production and draw down carbon emissions. And it has created a new pathway for talking about energy, regional development, land use and our relationships to our neighbors.
During the State College Area School District’s discussions for joining the SPPA, the Board discussed the amount of electricity we want to procure from the project. Our physical plant director informed us of his plans to increase energy efficiency in our buildings. We also know that we are adding electricity demand through building expansions, renovations, a new middle school and the possibility of electric buses. All of this helps us make the most of the SPPA’s stable 15-year price with good planning.
The Centre County Refuse and Recycling Authority has recently taken on a sizable solar project. They chose to leave the working group because they have unique and enviable conditions. Basically, their rooftop-to-energy demand ratio means they can generate more power than they use. The Pennsylvania GET Solar program, current incentives and a supportive board and staff could get them across the finish line. As I said as chair of the SPPA Working Group when they left, “That’s great!” Since they are an exception, they prove our rule: Aggregating power with others creates the best first option for low costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
For those who want to see someone clearly think through these options, there is some riveting TV. Get your popcorn, go to C-NET and watch State College Borough Council member Matt Herndon walk through a basic solar feasibility analysis in a Dec. 9 meeting. As a renewable energy professional and expert, he understands what is an actual plan to meet the borough’s own greenhouse gas emissions goals and those in the Centre Region Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.
The SPPA has other benefits. Earlier this week, the Centre County Planning Commission unanimously approved the Confer Farm solar project’s final land development plan. It creates a way for two Pennsylvania landowners to have a stable source of income from leasing their land long-term and stabilize soils. Going forward, the solar farms could be used for sheep-grazing, meadow for pollinators and honey production, solitary bees and even hibernation for small animals. Hopefully, Centre County school districts’ teachers and students will be able to visit the site and stream minute-to-minute, daily, monthly and annual production data from an online dashboard that’s useful for math and science classes. Finally, the project has opened new lines of communication between our local governments, enabling us to better work together.
The SPPA is doing what it set out to do and more. It will provide affordable carbon-free Pennsylvania electricity for the next 15 years. It has also become a way for us to have a productive discussion on our relationship to energy, land, community and climate change.
Peter Buck is the Chair of the Centre County Solar Working Group and serves on the State College Area School District’s Board of Directors. The opinions expressed here are his own.
