Cambria County commissioners take first steps toward solar energy project at county prison
EBENSBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — Cambria County leaders are taking early steps to bring solar energy to the county prison, an effort expected to cut electricity costs in half and reduce the facility's environmental footprint.
According to our media partners at The Tribune-Democrat, during a public meeting Thursday, the county commissioners approved two letters of intent to begin development. One agreement is with Virginia-based Madison Energy Infrastructure for the installation of net-metered solar arrays. The second is with Solar Landscape, a New Jersey company, for a land-lease arrangement to install solar panels on the property.
Officials say the prison, located on Manor Drive, was identified for the project due to its energy demands and hundreds of acres of flat, unused land. The jail operates on a roughly $15 million annual budget and consumes about 3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, costing the county around $300,000.
Commissioners estimate that once the solar project is completed, the county could save roughly $150,000 annually in energy costs.
'This is just the first step,' Keith Rager, Commissioner who initiated the project early in his term, said .
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