Developer seeks approval for proposed solar array in Ligonier Township

Ligonier Township’s planning commission is set to review a proposal to develop an 18-acre solar farm along Springer Road, the first such facility under consideration in the township.

Plans submitted by SunVest Solar call for a 3 megawatt solar array on a 32-acre property owned by Michael Becer. The company, which has offices in Illinois and Wisconsin, has requested township permission to operate the array as a conditional use in an agricultural zone.

The township planning commission is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. on Thursday to consider the proposal and whether to recommend approval by the township supervisors.

The supervisors plan to hold a special session to hear the SunVest request at 7 p.m. Sept. 22. That’s a day before the supervisors’ regularly scheduled 4:30 p.m. voting meeting, when they could take action on the proposed solar array.

The supervisors agreed the topic warranted a special evening meeting rather than attempting to hold the hearing at 4 p.m., directly before their Sept. 23 regular meeting.

“I don’t think we’re going to get through this in half an hour,” Supervisor Dan Resenic said of the hearing.

Supervisor Stephanie Verna said she wanted to make sure residents are able to attend the session at the later hour.

Two solar arrays have been proposed in neighboring Unity. One of those arrays, targeted for property along Charles Houck Road, was denied a required special exception by the township zoning board and is under appeal in Westmoreland County court by developer GreenKey Solar.

SunVest did not respond to messages submitted by TribLive seeking comment.

According to documents the company submitted to the township, the solar array would generate electricity for First Energy. Solar panels would be placed in rows with an overall height of about 10 feet.

The array would be located at 111/123 Springer Road, sitting back at least 100 feet from the road and from adjacent properties. Located on land that had been used as pasture, it would be surrounded by an 8-foot-tall fence.

A site plan shows the array would be bordered to the east by the road and to the southwest by a utility line.

Plans include off-street parking and a 15-foot-wide access road from Springer.

The site would be covered with pollinator-friendly native vegetation, according to SunVest’s conditional use application.

Up to 20 workers would be involved in construction of the array, which is estimated to take 12 to 16 weeks.

SunVest plans to monitor the site remotely, through a wireless phone connection, with maintenance crews visiting once or twice per year.

According to SunVest consultant Westwood Professional Services, the array would either be decommissioned or re-powered with newer technology at the end of the useful life of the solar panels — about 35 years.

The company estimated it would take about eight weeks to decommission and remove the array — at a net cost of $44,800, after resale and salvaging of components.

According to a July 2024 township ordinance governing solar facilities, an array will be considered discontinued or abandoned if it doesn’t generate electricity for 12 continuous months. At that point, the owner would have another 12 months to dismantle and remove it.

SunVest notes on its website that it expects this year to reach an electric generating capacity of 250 megawatts across its various facilities. It has solar projects in New Jersey, Maine, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Hawaii.