265 MW Solar Energy Facility Approved By Rush Township In Centre County On Nearly 2,000 Acres Of Abandoned Mine Land

On December 9, Rush Township Supervisors in Centre County approved the permit for the renewable energy project known as Black Moshannon Solar. 

The proposed solar project would generate 265 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 200,000 homes annually. 

At the same time, the project is being heralded for utilizing nearly 2,000 acres of toxic mineland, reclaiming otherwise unusable land, and including mineland clean-up as part of the project’s development. 

The project's developers have committed to introducing pollinators and pollinator-friendly ground cover beneath the solar arrays, conducting water quality and soil studies throughout development and operations, and taking steps to enhance the soil by using lime to neutralize mining contamination and encourage vegetation to grow on the site. 

The Black Moshannon Solar project is also expected to provide more than $5 million in tax revenue to support the Phillipsburg-Osceola Area School District and more than $700,000 in direct tax payments to Centre County.

In response to the approval of the permit proposal by Rush Township, statewide environmental group leaders and nonprofit clean energy advocates release the following statements-- 

“The bipartisan group of Rush Township Supervisors who got this proposal over the finish line should pat themselves on the back for this groundbreaking project,” said David Masur, Executive Director for the statewide nonprofit organization PennEnvironment. “We are hopeful that other local government officials across Pennsylvania will follow Rush Township’s lead and implement similar, much-needed solar projects all across the Keystone State.”

“The Rush Township Supervisors are establishing productive farmland and sustainable energy infrastructure for future generations,” noted Jim Gregory, Executive Director, Conservative Energy Network-Pennsylvania. “In forty years, their forward-thinking decisions will be recognized as catalysts for environmental protection, public health improvements, and economic prosperity. The Conservative Energy Network-Pennsylvania commends their responsible leadership and dedication to the community's long-term well-being.”

“The Black Moshannon Solar project is a perfect example of how renewable energy, natural resource conservation, and community benefits can align. This truly is a win-win-win for the community,” said Nate Reagle, the Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter’s Clean Energy Program Advocate. 

“As veterans, we understand what it means to serve something greater than ourselves,” said Moises Montalvo, Pennsylvania Lead Organizer for Veterans Power America. “Projects like Black Moshannon Solar give us a chance to continue that service—by strengthening our nation’s energy security, creating jobs for working families, and leaving behind a cleaner, safer country for future generations.”

"Approval of the Black Moshannon Solar project is a victory for the people of Rush Township, a victory for clean energy, and a victory for a sustainable economy," said Tom Pike, Clean Air Council Director of Campaigns. "This is the kind of forward-thinking work that communities across the Commonwealth should be looking to replicate."

“This project is a powerful example of how local communities and elected officials are coming together to embrace solar energy. By redeveloping polluted lands for clean energy production, we can transform environmental liabilities into long-term economic and environmental assets, all while helping to lower rising energy costs for Pennsylvanians. It’s a no-brainer, and we hope other communities across the commonwealth will join in realizing the firsthand benefits of going solar,” said Abby Jones, Vice President of Legal & Policy at PennFuture.

Related Articles This Week:

-- Environmental Quality Board Votes To Accept Petition To Study An Increase In Setback Safety Zones From Shale Gas Wells; And 3 Petitions From Oil & Gas Industry To Change Other Requirements  [PaEN] 

-- Sen. Yaw Bill To Subsidize Building Only Natural Gas Power Plants To Help Meet The Energy Demands Of A.I. Data Centers; Continues ‘One Of The Above’ Energy Policy  [PaEN]

-- Independent Fiscal Office: 2025 Act 13 Shale Gas Impact Fee Revenue Estimate $239.9 Million, Up $75.3 Million From Last Year  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- WHYY - Sophia Schmidt: Philadelphia Signs Agreement To Buy Electricity From Clearfield County Solar Energy Facility To Stabilize Energy Costs 

-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly Opinion: PPL Proposed 7% Rate Hike A.I. Data Center Driven  [PDF of Article] 

-- PA Capital-Star: Rising Electricity Bills Lead To State Scrutiny-- But Little Relief For Ratepayers

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: PJM Grid Operator Covering PA Failing To Plan For Responsible A.I. Data Center Load Growth, Observers Say

-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: DEP To Review Proposal To Expand No-Drill Zones Around Homes, Schools, Streams 

-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: PA Will Study Plan To Keep New Natural Gas Drilling Pads Farther From Homes, Schools, Hospitals 

-- Utility Dive: Data Center Coalition, PJM Power Providers Groups, Others Urge FERC To Reject The PJM Market Monitors Complaint Asking The Commission To Find The PJM Interconnection Can Deny Large Load Connections If They Threaten Grid Reliability

-- Reuters: US EIA: US Power Use To Reach Record Highs In 2025, 2026: Natural Gas Generation Slides 2%; Renewables Increase 2%; Nuclear Drops 1%; Coal Same

-- Post-Gazette: President’s Ban On Wind Energy Projects Rule Illegal By Federal Court [We Need Every Electron We Can Get]

-- Utility Dive: President Wants ‘ONE’ National A.I. Data Center Rule As States Seeks To Curb Impacts On Energy Costs, Water Use, Privacy And Other Issues 

-- NY Times: President Promises Executive Order To Block State A.I. Regulations

[Posted: December 10, 2025]  PA Environment Digest