WAYNESBORO – The Borough of Waynesboro recently announced an agreement to lease town-owned former golf course land to Ephrata-based MVE Group to install a solar farm. The 35-year deal, with an option for two 5-year extensions, could bring the total lease period to 45 years.
In a press release, the Borough outlined the new energy endeavor. “The project will consist of five solar arrays, each spanning 5-10 acres, for a total development area of up to 60 acres.” Waynesboro’s Town Council President, Harold Mumma, described the lease’s terms. “The Borough will not maintain the arrays or be responsible for their decommissioning and removal.”
The Waynesboro Golf Course closed in 2018 after years of operational deficits and expired contracts with third-party operators. This former nine-hole layout sits on undulating Borough land beside the town’s wastewater treatment plant and near Waynesboro’s southern boundary. A tributary of Antietam Creek flows through the property, which encompasses 68.02 acres.
In recent years, the Borough leased the land to a local farmer, and the press release stated he will possibly continue to farm crops on this parcel until the solar project is ready to be launched.
MVE Group will oversee the design, installation, and maintenance of the solar arrays during the entire contract period. The company, which started as Meadow Valley Electric in 1973, began its solar division in 2009 and then rebranded as MVE Group.
On the company’s website (mvegroup.com/solar/), MVE highlights various forms of its specialty solar services. These products include rooftop arrays, microgrids, solar canopies in parking areas, solar arrays on farmland, and even floating solar panel configurations. MVE’s website also provides examples from these various sectors, with many customer projects based in Pennsylvania.
MVE Group advertises its experience in “designing, installing, and servicing utility scale, industrial scale, and commercial scale PV (photovoltaic) projects. Our crew of experienced electricians install and commission systems with minimal impact or disruption to existing operations and with safety as a constant priority.”
Jay Weaver is the Chief Financial Officer of MVE Group. “The partnership with the Borough of Waynesboro is a significant step forward in expanding solar energy in the region,” Weaver said through the Borough’s press release. “We look forward to developing a high-quality solar installation that benefits the electric grid, and the broader transition to clean energy.”
Preparations to convert the former golf course property to a solar farm will now progress with permitting approvals through First Energy. Weaver said through an email the Waynesboro development is in its earliest stages.
While explaining how the solar array will connect to the electricity grid, Weaver said: “West Penn Power will engineer grid upgrades as required; our goal will be to move wiring underground as soon as possible.” That utility will not accept the application without the signed lease agreement from the Borough, according to MVE. A Waynesboro government spokesperson said they were not aware of what infrastructure will be required for MVE to connect to the grid.
Regarding the timing for this process, Weaver estimated that 5-6 months were necessary to complete engineering upgrades and another 5-6 months to build out those upgrades. Those were flexible timelines since many factors were beyond MVE’s control. “We could see power being produced in 1.5 years if approvals, materials, and construction flow as planned.”
Weaver outlined the site’s preparation, saying, “Ground leveling, trees, borders and new plantings will all be a part of that plan. All these plans will need to be approved by the Borough and likely the county as well.”
He also discussed the longevity of the solar panels used for the site, anticipating only a single generation of PV’s will be necessary. “As production slowly degrades over time, the panels will still be producing significant power in 35 years.” This Waynesboro solar project should produce 17.2 MW with a yearly production value of approximately 20.8 GWh of electricity, enough to power 1931 average households, according to MVE.
Weaver stressed that solar is a more environmentally friendly source of electricity. The average production of CO2 per MWh (Mega Watt Hour) for solar power is 95 pounds. By comparison, a natural gas-fired power plant emits 1071 pounds of CO2 per MWh. Weaver quoted these figures from a Columbia University Climate School article in its “State of the Planet” publication.
Waynesboro already has solar installation regulations in force, ensuring that local PV uses comply with specific standards. Borough Manager Jason Stains said through an email that MVE Group will be bonded and comply with those regulations, which include returning the grounds to their current state when the lease expires.
Stains discussed the evolution of the golf course’s property since it closed in 2018. He said several solar companies before MVE approached the Borough about a potential lease, but for a variety of reasons, those other projects didn’t move forward.
The Borough also considered selling the golf course land for housing and had a preliminary negotiation with a developer. Several issues stymied that potential development. Cemetery Drive is a private road from the intersection of S. Church St. to the golf course parking lot. In addition, the developer had concerns about traffic passing the wastewater treatment plant. “The developer wanted the Borough to develop access off of 316 South through farms in Washington Township,” Stains said.
The Borough of Waynesboro will receive $4060 for the golf course farming lease in 2025. The 35-year solar lease will result in a substantial revenue increase for that same property. MVE Group paid an upfront $5000 fee to cover legal expenses. The five solar arrays slated for the project will earn the Borough $21,000 for each array per year, for a total of $105,000 annually. Stains detailed overall projections, saying, “With built-in contract escalators, the contract will provide the Borough with $5,250,000 over the first thirty-five years of the contract.”
In addition, MVE will pay real estate tax on their developed portion for the entire agreement period. Stains pointed out the Borough’s tax-exempt property status (those savings will be invested), as a key component giving the Borough a green light to pursue the solar lease. Another benefit cited is when the MVE agreement terminates, Waynesboro’s government will exercise full discretion in deciding a future use for the former golf course property.
Compared to two massive solar arrays that straddle the Franklin/Fulton County PA line, Waynesboro’s 60-acre site is small by comparison. The University of Pennsylvania contracted to lease 1600 rural acres for its Great Cove I and II solar arrays, with 485,000 solar panels.
This project is the largest combined Pennsylvania solar array and produces 220 Megawatts of power. This MW capacity is equivalent to 70% of the energy demand for the University’s network of schools and hospitals. Penn hopes this gigantic solar farm will help achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2042.
Waynesboro’s entry into the solar power industry takes the town into a new era. As they repurpose the former golf course site, the Borough is reinventing how its public lands are utilized, both for profit and tax savings, and also to promote greener energy sources that help power the region into the future.
