Solar gets big win in fracking-rich Pennsylvania

By Clare Fieseler | 09/06/2024 06:49 AM EDT

The state’s largest-ever solar project came online this week.

The Great Cove Solar project is pictured in Pennsylvania.

The Great Cove Solar project is pictured in Pennsylvania. Mill Creek Renewables/PR Newswire

Two companies launched the largest solar project in Pennsylvania’s history this week, giving a boost to the industry in a battleground state long associated with natural gas production.

The developers, Mill Creek Renewables and the AES Corp., said the project is producing 220 megawatts of renewable energy, enough to power 38,060 homes. The Great Cove Solar project includes 485,000 panels spread across two fields in south-central Pennsylvania near the Maryland line.

“In addition to being the largest solar generation facility in the state, the Great Cove project brings substantial benefits to Franklin and Fulton Counties, including an anticipated $17 million in tax revenue throughout its lifespan. This funding directly support communities, with two-thirds allocated to local school districts,” said Walter Crenshaw, senior director of origination of AES, a Maryland-based clean energy company.

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Karen Feridun, co-founder of Better Path Coalition, also praised the project, saying it demonstrates that rural communities can be bright spots for cleaner power and safer jobs.

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