Here is the full text of Solar Energy Ordinance 2024-02 amending Ordinance 2023-01 Solar Energy System. The township will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 5:00 PM. Please review the ordinance before the hearing and prepare any questions you may have.
One needs to ask about the so-called “decommissioning bond”. Not about what happens if Wilson Solar goes bankrupt but also ask what happens if Wilson Solar gets bought by another company OR they change their name for some reason? Will any of these changes nullify the Bond? Sure, Wilson Solar has to stand good on the Bond as long as they remain “Wilson Solar” but what happens if they change their name to “Wilson Green Energy” or some other variation? I’ve seen too may companies get out of long term warranties and debt simply by being bought out by another company OR a name change.
Good point, Bob. I don’t know much about how bonds work, but I “assumed” the Township, not the solar company, holds the bond and would.execute it if and when required. The Supervisors describe them similar to a fully.paid insurance policy. Again, you probably know more about this. Definitely worth learning more.
I’ve looked up similar solar projects around the country and Wilson Solar basically insulted our community with their “concessions” All one has to do is put a few Google searches together and the information is there. If Wilson Solar wants to be a part of our community THEY NEED TO PAY. Instead of $250,000 initially and $25,000 every year for 10 years how about 2.5 million initially and $250,000 per year for 10 years? They can also build a brand new state of the art Fire Station with training tower right on the farm and buy our community a new EMS squad fully equipped, a new 750 GPM Pumper WITH rescue spreaders, cutters and the various size rams also “fully equipped”. Our Community can also use a new Tanker AND a 100 foot aerial ladder with or without a bucket. Let our Firefighters decide what would serve us best and also “fully equipped”. Free training at the PA fire academy for our people so they can get certified in the various aspects of responding to the types of calls that could potentially occur from this. How about some tax relief? Wilson Solar can pay everyone’s Local and School taxes for the first year. I really don’t wanna hear about this being overkill. Wilson Solar came to OUR community we didn’t ask them to come here. If they really want to be a part of our community they can let their wallets do the talking. When the casino wanted to come into the area no one really wanted it at first. They gave Summit township tax relief, a new State Police Barracks and bunch of infrastructure improvements. The casino gave the community every reason to believe that they were going to be in our community for the long haul. Wilson Solar can do the same OR pack up their Solar Panels and move on to the next Community. I would think they could find a similar community to set up shop in, right?
The bottom line is that if Wilson Solar REALLY wants to do business in our community they need to prove it and PAY. They need us we really don’t need them.