DAMASCUS, PA – A proposed utility-scale solar energy facility in Wayne County has been put on pause for now.
The project developer Ampliform withdrew its conditional use application entirely on Wednesday night after Damascus’s legal solicitor, Jeffrey Treat, flagged that the application was missing something significant: the lease agreement from the property owner proving the developer can even build on the property.
The proposal included building over 36,000 solar panels across Damascus and Oregon townships. If built, the developer says the facility could generate enough electricity to power roughly 3,000 homes.
Damascus Township’s Board of Supervisors held a special meeting at the Equinunk Fire Station on June 10 to consider the developer’s application following Ampliform’s conditional use hearing on May 20.
READ: As PA Tries to Push Renewable Energy, a Proposed Solar Farm in Wayne County Draws Mixed Reaction
Damascus Board Chairman Joseph Canfield told Radio Catskill that there’s nothing left for the Township to do for now.
“We’re waiting on [the developer]. There’s no further action for the Township, and nothing’s moving forward,” said Canfield. “If they wish to resubmit, they can resubmit.”
For months, the proposal has drawn both support and pushback from Pennsylvanians. Proponents say building more large-scale solar is necessary as electricity costs skyrocket, while others say the project’s scale could threaten wildlife habitat and the environment.
Application documents outline that the proposed area would disturb about 103 acres and would require significant tree clearance, which critics argue is above the township’s maximum clearance allowance.
While Pennsylvania has long relied on fossil fuels like coal and oil to power the state, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has been pushing to increase the amount of renewable energy the state generates. Shapiro has also proposed data centers to ‘BYOE’ – or bring your own energy – requiring a portion of data centers’ energy to come from clean energy sources
Crystal Patterson, whose family farm borders the proposed project area, says Wednesday’s decision came as a surprise.
“It’s definitely the curveball we didn’t see coming. We thought this was gonna be a yes or no answer,” said Patterson. “We’ll have to wait and see what their plan contains.”
Morgan Madden, legal counsel for Ampliform, said during the meeting that they plan to resubmit an updated application at a later date.
Darlene and Patrick Nolan, who live along Eighmy Road across the proposed solar farm, are keeping an eye on the next move.
“Number one concern is our property value. We just built a brand-new house and retired in June. We have over a million dollars invested already in our land, and if this solar farm goes in, not that I plan on selling, but my legacy… we’ll never make back on what we invested on it because of this,” said Darlene Nolan.
She says where large-scale solar projects go matters. Nolan says it doesn’t belong in more rural residential parts of the state.
“They could have picked a million other places, and I know everybody has the right to [do] with their land, but just doesn’t make any sense.”
Image: Damascus Township Board of Supervisors discusses a conditional use application for Ampliform’s proposed solar project (Photo Credit: Kimberly Izar)