| On June 1, 2021 Jessie Audette from Lightsource bp introduced our club to a new solar project. Both Penn State and Lightsource bp are incredibly proud of this solar project, and the opportunities it will offer organizations, Penn State students and the local communities. The agreement is for 70 megawatts of large-scale offsite solar, providing 25% of Penn State’s state-wide electricity requirements. This development will enable the university to achieve its goal of a 35% greenhouse gas reduction while saving $14 million on their electricity bills and providing long-term budget certainty. The project also supports Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS), which mandates that a certain percentage of electricity be generated by solar photovoltaics, helping to diversify the Commonwealth’s energy portfolio and increase security with locally generated power. One of the largest in the state, the project is comprised of over 150,000 solar panels installed across three sites, encompassing approximately 500 acres of land in Franklin County, outside of Chambersburg, and near Penn State’s Mont Alto campus. The project will be 100% financed, built, maintained and operated by Lightsource bp – commercial operation of the first site commenced in December 2019 with full project completion expected by summer 2022. Careful consideration is given to the way in which our solar projects are constructed. Environmental impact assessments play a key part in ensuring our projects protect the local environment. Beyond that, there are also opportunities to enhance ecosystems and biodiversity. |
