Pennsylvania Rep. Rob Kauffman (R-89) joined representatives from the Borough of Chambersburg, Safari Energy, LLC and Sun Tribe Development, along with other elected officials, to “flip the switch” and inaugurate a new 15-megawatt solar array.
The new solar facility, owned and operated by Safari Energy, will provide 100 percent of its power to the borough as part of a long-term power purchase agreement. The 86-acre facility is expected to produce enough electricity to power more than 2,600 homes, or roughly 10 percent of the borough’s annual electricity needs.
“We have worked with some amazing partners to achieve this much-desired outcome. I’m honored to represent a community that is making a commitment to our planet and our future,” Alice Elia, Borough of Chambersburg Council President, said.
The largest of 35 municipal electric systems in the state, the Borough of Chambersburg is the only municipal electric system in the state to own and operate electric generating plants.
“Working with partners like the Borough of Chambersburg is incredibly rewarding, as their innovative outlook and commitment to renewable energy align very much with our vision for a sustainable energy future,” Vijay Singh, president, PPL Renewables, said. “This project is the largest single-site solar system that Safari Energy has acquired, and we hope to build on this success with other projects and solar portfolios across the country.”
The project, developed by Sun Tribe Development, sits on land that is also home to an active shale mining operations. The effort to design, permit and construct a solar power plant on a mining site required coordination between representative of the borough, Hamilton Township, Franklin County, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
“This project is a fabulous example of how to site a solar farm on land that has already been disturbed for another purpose, including mining,” Danny Van Clief, CEO, Sun Tribe Development, which originated and developed the solar project, said. “It is also a project that would not have happened were it not for the vision and determination of Sun Tribe’s many partners at the local, county and state level.”