Greene Township Residents Raise Concern about Ohl Reservoir Solar Project

LOCK HAVEN, PA – A proposal for a solar “array” at Lock Haven’s Ohl Reservoir in Greene Township has drawn the ire of a couple Greene Township residents, according to City Manager Greg Wilson at Monday night’s city council meeting.

Wilson told council the city has heard from two citizens from the Rosecrans area not happy with the proposal. It had been revealed at a council meeting earlier in January that the BAI Group of State College is pursuing use of 186 acres of the Ohl Reservoir parcels for what the company calls a “utility scale solar array project.”

The complainants said the proposal of “gated solar panels” does not fit in the area and would be contrary to its current use as an area for walking.

The city manager emphasized the process for the panels is just beginning; he said it will take two years and may not prove to be feasible. He said council’s initial approval to the plan “doesn’t mean that tomorrow panels are going in.” The land in question had previously been leased out for farming and Wilson indicated that farming remained a possibility while the BAI Group conducts its two-year long study.

Council at its January 4 meeting gave its approval to a 2-year lease with BAI, based on the State College firm’s bid of $13,950. The previous leasee was Schrack Farms which had submitted a bid of $7,430 for continued farming purposes. Council approval that night came on a 5-2 vote.

BAI Group President James Echard had earlier told the city the company is seeking multiple tracts of land for large scale solar developments to “serve the PJM Interconnection utility grid.” As for the Ohl acreage, BAI plans to pursue permitting to support “the potential development of a utility scale solar array project.”

Echard said an ultimate decision on development will depend on its economic viability. The BAI bid is for two years with a possible extension to 25 years.