On November 21, the PA Solar Center and Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services announced the release of our their Guidebook For Leasing Land For Large-Scale Solar Development to help Pennsylvania landowners – particularly those with large parcels of land – navigate the process of leasing their land for large-scale solar development.

According to the region’s electricity grid coordinator, PJM Interconnection, there are hundreds of large-scale solar projects being proposed across Pennsylvania.

Combined with incentives from the federal Inflation Reduction Act, and the fact that large-scale solar is now the least expensive form of electricity, energy companies around the world are expanding their solar operations through large-scale and community solar projects.

Many have their eyes set on Pennsylvania due to its abundance of land and proximity to electricity transmission lines – and have been approaching large landowners to potentially lease their land.

Leasing land is also an opportunity for landowners to access annual streams of income.

Strong candidates for large-scale solar leasing often have 20 acres or more of land, live near large electric transmission lines, and are positioned for favorable southern exposure to the sun.

After a lease agreement is signed, large-scale solar developers install solar panels and send the power directly onto the grid, rather than to be used by a building on-site, similar to other large power plants like coal, gas, and nuclear plants.

And there are financial benefits to landowners, as they typically receive lease payments of $800 to $1500 per acre, per year, for 25-30 years.

Click Here for a copy of the Guidebook.

The Pennsylvania Solar Center is a nonpartisan, nonprofit effort to raise the awareness of the benefits of solar energy in Pennsylvania. Click Here to sign up for regular updates.

NewsClip:

-- Spotlight PA: How A Proposed Solar Energy Project Prompted This Rural Township In Centre County To Face Its Mining Past

[Posted: November 21, 2023]

11/27/2023