A proposed 161-acre solar farm could be on its way to West Penn Township.

A property transfer was completed from Yule Tree LP, to Solareit2-A-II-LLC, for the property at 521 Golf Road, West Penn Township, in the amount of $1,959,000. This is the site of the former Villas Crossing Golf Course.

Based out of Virginia, SolaREIT is a real estate company focused on delivering solar and battery energy storage developers and landowners the maximum value for their land and leases.

SolaREIT, a minority and women-owned business, was founded in 2020 as a Real Estate Investment Trust by solar energy industry veterans with a proven track record in finance, solar project development, real estate, and community solar.

According to the organization’s website, since 2020, they have transacted in 15 states, and are a member of the Solar Energy Industries Association and the Coalition for Community Solar Access.

West Penn Township board of supervisors Chairman Tony Prudenti said Friday morning the township had heard about the possibility, but thought it was a dead issue.

“We were aware of a potential for something to go in there; they did drop off a rendering of what it would look like,” Prudenti said. “We’re just not sure if we can catch this under the old ordinance, we’re revamping the ordinance now.”

Prudenti said the board plans to talk about pushing forward with a decommissioning plan when it meets at 6 p.m. Monday.

“There has been no submission at this time,” he said. “But, they did drop off a rendering of what it would look like.”

Other solar farms

The newest solar farm proposal comes on the heels of the board granting conditional approval to preliminary plans for a solar farm earlier this month.

Supervisors wanted the developer of the proposed 79.87-acre farm near Ash Circle and Ridge Road to put a decommissioning plan in place.

The township’s Planning Commission recently recommended conditional approval of the Ridge Road Solar Land Development, but also asked that developers meet certain comments suggested by ARRO Consulting, Schuylkill Planning Commission, and Bill Brior, sewage enforcement officer.

Among them is a decommissioning plan that would provide for the removal of the panels once they reach the end of their useful life, or the solar farm goes out of service.

Developers from Bollinger Solar noted that such a plan wasn’t required by township ordinance when they first filed the plans. They also said that the solar panels retain a high monetary value even as they age — and would likely be removed and sold.

Supervisors, however, want a decommissioning plan spelled out when developers file final plans.

Bollinger said that there is a provision in the lease between Bollinger Solar and the property owner to remove the panels at the end of the lease. Even so, he said, the company will come back with a decommissioning plan as requested.

The Ridge Road project is about 2½ times larger than another one in the area that was approved in June. The Gregory and Jodi Duschak Solar Energy Collection calls for 63 rows of solar panels on 34 acres of private land zoned for agricultural use. It is awaiting approval from the Schuylkill County Planning Commission.