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Variable clouds with strong thunderstorms. High 79F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..
Thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low near 70F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Updated: August 16, 2026 @ 6:23 am
The hill seen from the top of Fort Palmer Road in Fairfield Township on Thursday is slated to become a solar farm site after the supervisors approved plans.
Fairfield Township Secretary Carrie Tantlinger, Supervisors Paul Altimus and Jim Brown, Solicitor Amber Leechalk and Supervisor Ernie Henderson (back) sit for an Aug. 13 meeting.
Final site plans for a solar farm in Fairfield Township.
Fort Palmer Church stands on Thursday afternoon, just after Fairfield Township supervisors approved site plans for a solar farm that will go on the hill behind it.
The hill behind Fort Palmer Church off state Route 711 in Fairfield Township is slated to become the site of a solar farm.
A sign shows the intersection of state Route 711 and Fort Palmer Road on Thursday afternoon after supervisors approved final site plans for a solar farm slated to go there.
The hill seen from the top of Fort Palmer Road in Fairfield Township on Thursday is slated to become a solar farm site after the supervisors approved plans.
Fairfield Township Secretary Carrie Tantlinger, Supervisors Paul Altimus and Jim Brown, Solicitor Amber Leechalk and Supervisor Ernie Henderson (back) sit for an Aug. 13 meeting.
Final site plans for a solar farm in Fairfield Township.
Fort Palmer Church stands on Thursday afternoon, just after Fairfield Township supervisors approved site plans for a solar farm that will go on the hill behind it.
The hill behind Fort Palmer Church off state Route 711 in Fairfield Township is slated to become the site of a solar farm.
A sign shows the intersection of state Route 711 and Fort Palmer Road on Thursday afternoon after supervisors approved final site plans for a solar farm slated to go there.
Fairfield Township supervisors unanimously signed off on final site plans for a proposed $20 million solar project on Thursday afternoon.
The solar farm is slated to go by the intersection of Fort Palmer Road and state Route 711, right behind Fort Palmer Church. The company, GreenKey Development LLC, will move forward with construction after final approval from the Westmoreland County Department of Planning and Development, township Solicitor Amber Leechalk said.
The supervisors chose between two plans. One followed the township’s solar farm guidelines that were passed in 2024, and the other had a slight variation that would require fewer trees to be cut down. The supervisors chose the compliant plan.
Because Fairfield Township is under the county’s subdivision and land development ordinance, the guidelines are not legally binding, according to Leechalk. She told residents areas without zoning are like the “wild, wild West” in terms of development.
There will be four quadrants of tilted panels that generate electricity for the grid. The highest point of the panels will be 9 feet off the ground.
The actual facility will cover 12.2 acres of land and will be protected by a fence and trail cameras.
Construction is expected to take three to four months and will be done in the winter while animals are hibernating. The company also plans to plant native grasses and pollinator gardens near the panels.
The loudest the farm would be is 65 decibels if a listener was up close, which is similar to the volume of an air conditioner, GreenKey’s lawyer Pete Zittle said. He also said the nearest residential property will be 300 feet away.
The energy will enter the grid at an electrical substation in Derry Township and will be used locally throughout eastern Westmoreland County, said Ian Durham, senior land resolution specialist for GreenKey.
Roughly a dozen people attended Thursday’s meeting. Residents asked questions about traffic flow during construction, water contamination and job opportunities.
Public commenter Russel Davies described how the community is distrustful of development since the oil and gas industry has used a lot of resources in the area.
Durham said the project would average less than one truck per day and would use about 80 trucks throughout the building process. He also said the solar panels GreenKey uses have no known environmental impact and do not contain the cancer-causing agent that some other panels have.
GreenKey also tries its best to hire local workers, according to Durham. He also said the company will work with Fort Palmer Church to ensure construction does not interfere with Sunday services.
The company initially presented information about the project’s scale during a public hearing on June 30 before about two dozen residents. The supervisors discussed plans at the regular July meeting but did not make any decisions.
Other business
Supervisor Paul Altimus said state Route 259 was damaged due to extreme weather this summer. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will repair the road and sent a letter to the township estimating work will be done in September.
The road will be closed until then, Altimus said. Emergency culvert replacement is being done.
Additionally, the supervisors signed off on applications for Local Share Account grants. If accepted, the funds will be used to replace the roof on the municipal building and for a new snowplow truck.
The next meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10, at 159 Midget Camp Road.
Annabelle Chipps can be reached at achipps@latrobebulletinnews.com.
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