3-megawatt solar farm planned for former pasture, pending Cherry Ridge Twp. approval

A 3-megawatt commercial solar farm is proposed for a former Cherry Ridge Township pasture near Honesdale.

Pending approval by the township and the state, construction may begin this fall, an ECA Solar representative stated. This may become the first, or one of the first, utility-scale solar panel arrays put into service in Wayne County.

A conditional use zoning hearing was held at the township offices on April 16. The supervisors have up to 45 days to render a decision, which can include a list of conditions for the applicant. They have one regularly scheduled supervisors' meeting during that time, on May 7 at 7 p.m.

The project was submitted by Angus Farm, LCC, and the Honesdale Energy Initiative, LLC, represented by local businessperson Robert Suhosky, a Cherry Ridge Township property owner. The solar array is proposed to be placed on a 39-acre parcel along Cadjaw Pond Road.

Martha Diezmann of ECA Solar said that their firm, based in Waltham, Massachusetts, has been in business for 10 years. It has three projects in Lackawanna County.

The Cherry Ridge facility, she said, will export all its energy to the PPL grid. ECA will be upgrading electric lines along the road and doing some minor upgrades to the PPL substation. PPL has approved the project, which took a little over a year.

ECA will be leasing the property for 30 years, Diezmann said.

She stated that unfortunately Pennsylvania does not allow “community solar,” which would allow ECA to provide discounts to consumers who subscribe for a portion of the power generated and get credit off their electrical bills.

Infrastructure upgrades, however, will provide some resiliency to the grid. "You may actually be using it at your homes without knowing it once the system is producing," Diezmann stated, of the power the array will generate.

Michael Redding of ECA Solar said that the array will use about 11 out of the 39 acres. Access is from a driveway owned by the same landowner. Panels will run east-west, always facing south. The array will be supported by posts driven into the ground. It will be about 3 feet off the ground on the southern side and roughly 8 to 10 feet high in back.

Electricians will wire the panels together, feeding them into the electrical panel. DC power will be converted to AC for the grid. Meters will measure their output.

ECA will monitor the array remotely online, 24/7, with the ability to turn it off. A work crew will also be able to disconnect the power on-site. Only one or two vehicle trips to the site will be needed per quarter, Redding said, to maintain the landscaping and to do a facility maintenance check.

An 8- to 12-foot tall, knot-wire security fence would surround the project, like what is used for agriculture. This type of fence, Redding added, allows for small animals to get through; wildlife also will benefit from the meadow habitat beneath the solar array.

No trees will be cut, he said, but they will do plantings to help hide the array. A landscape architect will be consulted to choose appropriate species.

The project is set about 450 feet back from Cadjaw Pond Road. "It will feel very much out of sight, out of mind," he said. Done this way, he said studies show there is no impact on property owners.

He stated that in the best case, they expect to start late this year. If panels can be put in place by then, electricians can do their work through the winter.

Following the conditional use approval, he said ECA still must submit a land development plan to the township and obtain a state stormwater discharge permit, which can take up to six months.

A decommissioning bond will be provided to the landowner, requiring ECA to take responsibility to dismantle and remove the facility if they have reached the end of the useful life of the system, and the lease expires. The bond, he said, is typically worth $150,000 to $200,000. This must be renewed every five years.

Don Hiller, township emergency manager coordinator and a local firefighter, asked if a fire assessment has been done. Redding said that once they get a building permit, their plans will validate that this has been accomplished.

Fire companies will have access to the locked gate, and the array from a perimeter gravel road. Fire department training manuals will be available. Placards will provide emergency contact information and how to switch off the array.

Alerted to a problem by remote monitoring, a crew would be on site in 24 to 72 hours, Redding said.

"We're excited to be part of the community, to bring solar to this area for all the reasons we have provided, and hopefully we can provide it with that harmonious perspective we have outlined," Redding said.

Suhosky stated he has dealt with ECA Solar for the past year and a half and has found ECA to be dependable. "I have a lot of confidence they will fulfill their commitments," he said.

In the fall of 2021, ECA Solar successfully applied to Palmyra Township in Wayne County for a 3.7-megawatt project near Hawley. ECA's primary, intended customer, Wallenpaupack Area School District, however, backed out. The township announced in September 2022 that ECA decided to not move forward at that time because PPL was requiring a fee exceeding $2 million to connect to the grid and ECA was unsuccessful in finding a cost-effective solution within the time limit to purchase the land.

Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Cherry Ridge Twp. holds hearing on proposed 3-megawatt solar farm