Protect McKean County Wilds

06/09/2026

McKean County residents — this is worth listening to tonight.

Tonight from 6–8 PM, Shaking up Rochester 106.3FM on Rochester Free Radio is expected to discuss industrial solar, battery energy storage systems, data centers, environmental concerns, and what rural communities are facing as these projects move in.

Alexandra Fasulo and Bill Brown are expected to be on the air as part of this discussion. These are people with the knowledge, courage, and backbone to step up, ask hard questions, and speak openly about what many rural communities are dealing with.

This matters here because McKean County is not dealing with one small project or some far-off hypothetical issue. We are already seeing real-world impacts from Clermont Solar, a project tied to roughly 681 acres and 120 MW with major runoff issues. We also have RWE’s Stargazer Solar being publicly promoted as a 480 MW project (3,500+ acre solar array), Stargazer-related battery/solar queue filings, Black Cherry Wind discussions involving tens of thousands of acres (60,000+ acres), and Black Cherry BESS listed at 400 MW.

That is the scale people need to understand.

These projects can affect land use, farmland, forests, roads, stormwater, emergency services, fire departments, water resources, wildlife, local zoning, and the long-term future of our county.

Whether you are a township official, county official, landowner, farmer, firefighter, hunter, neighbor, or simply someone who cares about the McKean County Wilds, please tune in and educate yourself.

Listen live at rochesterfreeradio.com or tune to 106.3 FM if you are in range.

Tonight, 6–8 PM
Shaking Up Rochester — WRFZ 106.3 FM

https://www.rochesterfreeradio.com/show/shaking-up-rochester
https://www.rochesterfreeradio.com/

Broadcasting at 106.3 FM and online via the TuneIn Radio app, Rochester Free Radio is the #1 non-commercial radio station in Rochester, NY, serving up a diverse variety of music and talk shows from members of our community.

05/15/2026

🚨 ANOTHER SOLAR PROJECT IN MCKEAN COUNTY 🚨

We found another one.

This time it is the McKean Woodland Solar Project in Liberty Township, near the Woodland Drive / Route 6 corridor outside Port Allegany.

And there are so many public records tied to this project that we had to build a separate webpage just to organize the documents.

The file includes:
📄 NPDES permit records
📄 PAG-02 authorization to discharge
📄 Erosion & Sediment Control documents
📄 Post-Construction Stormwater Management documents
📄 PNDI environmental review
📄 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
📄 Liberty Township notification package
📄 McKean County notification package
📄 LLC ownership / operating agreement records

One thing that immediately stands out: the documents do not all describe the acreage the same way. Some records reference about 7.6 acres of disturbance, others reference about 11.1 acres, the PNDI receipt shows 11.17 acres, and the Phase I ESA discusses a larger property context.

That does not automatically prove anything improper, but it absolutely shows why these projects need public review.

This one also raises another question:
❓If Route 6 is now promoted as part of Pennsylvania’s Scenic Byway system, and McKean County is part of the PA Wilds, are the US Route 6 in Pennsylvania and The PA Wilds folks aware of what is being proposed along this corridor?

We are not guessing. We are posting the documents.

Review the McKean Woodland Solar project file here:
🔗 https://protectmckeancountywilds.com/mckean-woodland-solar.html

Another project. Another paper trail. Another reason residents need to pay attention.

Public records, permit timeline, environmental impact documents, stormwater concerns, PNDI review, and source files for the McKean Woodland Solar Project in Liberty Township, McKean County.

05/15/2026

🚨 BOYDS MILL SOLAR PROJECT - HAMLIN TOWNSHIP, MCKEAN COUNTY 🚨

We found another proposed solar project in McKean County records, and this one appears to have been in the development process for several years.

The project is called the Boyds Mill Solar Project and appears to be proposed in Hamlin Township, near the Boyds Mill / Campbelltown Road area.

The recorded lease paperwork shows PA-Boyds Mill LLC tied to Glidepath Ventures LLC d/b/a Prospect14. The lease memorandum was signed with an effective date of September 26, 2022 and recorded in McKean County on November 21, 2022.

The parcel involved is listed as 23-010-204, roughly 34 acres, with the county parcel viewer showing the property along Campbelltown Road.

In 2025, the project moved further into the agency review process.

Public emails show the project was submitted to DEP through the Permit Application Consultation Tool, also known as PACT, on September 4, 2025. The applicant was listed as PA-Boyds Mill LLC, the contact email used a Prospect14.com address, and the consultant was listed as Penn Environmental & Remediation.

According to the DEP submittal, the project would include:
👉 Solar panels
👉 Inverters
👉 Access roads
👉 Utility interconnection
👉 Conveyance channels
👉 Culverts
👉 Outlet protection
👉 Infiltration berms or basins

The project filing also says it would create or retain fewer than 25 jobs and involve $1 million to $2.99 million in private investment.

There are also several environmental and permitting items worth noting.

The DEP / McKean County Conservation District records say an individual NPDES permit is needed. That means stormwater, erosion and sediment control, agency review, and permitting are all part of the process before construction can move forward.

The applicant also answered YES to project work involving placement of fill, excavation, or structures located in or near a watercourse, floodway, body of water, or wetlands.

Another important detail: DEP identified a former municipal waste landfill on the property.

DEP’s comments say disturbance of the waste shall be minimized. Waste must remain within the known extent of the former landfill. Any exhumed waste from foundation or pier construction must be properly managed and disposed of off-site at a permitted disposal facility. DEP also warned that additional stormwater infiltration into the former landfill should be minimized.

These are the kinds of details residents should be aware of when solar projects are being proposed in rural townships.

This is why local ordinances, stormwater protections, wetland protections, independent engineering review, decommissioning requirements, and public access to records all matter.

The goal is not to create panic. The goal is to make sure residents, township officials, and county officials understand what is being proposed, what permits may be required, and what long-term protections should be in place.

We will continue reviewing the records and sharing what we find so the public can stay informed.

05/15/2026

We found another Bear Peak Power solar project showing up in McKean County.

This one is listed as BPP PA Annin PV I LLC, with Bear Peak Power named as the developer. The preliminary layout shows a roughly 30-acre project site, about 10.8 acres of solar array, and a 3 MWac solar project.

This is not just a random map.

Along with the project layout, we also found parcel information, related emails, and a recorded Memorandum of Solar Lease and Easement Agreement in the McKean County Recorder of Deeds office. That recorded memorandum involves property in Annin Township, lists Bear Peak Power LLC as the grantee, and describes a solar lease/easement tied to the property. It also says the agreement can bind successors and assigns.

And there is another important detail.

The exact same project name - BPP PA Annin PV I LLC - also appears in 'Exhibit A' at the end of the Bear Peak Power complaint we found yesterday.

That does not mean this local project is being sued over. But it does mean this Annin project LLC is listed in the same public court filing that describes Bear Peak Power’s alleged project-development model.

That should raise some simple questions:

❓ Who owns this project now?
❓ Who could own it later?
❓ Can it be sold or transferred after land control and approvals are secured?
❓ Are future owners, operators, buyers, and assignees bound by the same township protections?
❓ Will battery storage be added now or later?
❓ What protections are in place for roads, stormwater, wells, springs, emergency response, cleanup, and decommissioning?

This is not about attacking landowners. This is about transparency.

Residents deserve to know what is being planned, where it is being planned, who is behind it, and what protections are in place before these projects quietly move forward.

05/15/2026

🚨 Website Update - RWE Stargazer Solar Project Evidence File 🚨

We’ve just updated our dedicated RWE Stargazer page with even more public records, agency correspondence, and key project documents!

This is the most complete public evidence file available on the proposed 480 MW utility-scale solar + battery storage project in Sergeant, Norwich, and Hamlin Townships.

The updated page now includes documents such as:
• RWE Sergeant Township Solar System Permit Application & full Project Narrative (2026)
• RWE Legal Threat Letter to McKean County re: solar ordinance (March 20, 2026)
• CEC/PFBC PNDI Submission describing the solar + storage facility (March 2025)
• Multiple PFBC Species Impact Reviews (April–May–Oct 2025 & Jan 2026) – Timber Rattlesnake, Blue-Spotted Salamander, Bigmouth Shiner, Burbot, and more
• Timber Rattlesnake Habitat Assessment (July 2025)
• Recorded land options, easements & access agreements (Okerlund, John Hancock/Manulife, etc.)
• Project maps, NYISO queue info, and additional timeline records

➡️ Check out the full updated page here:
https://protectmckeancountywilds.com/rwe-stargazer.html

We also still have our active petition running - please sign and share if you haven’t already:
https://www.change.org/p/protect-mckean-county-from-rwe-s-480-mw-stargazer-solar-transmission-project

Public records matter. The more we all review the actual documents, the better we can protect our wilds, water, wildlife, and communities.

Read, share, and contact your township supervisors and county officials. Stay informed!

Public records, project timeline, environmental concerns, NYISO links, township issues, agency review, and community comments related to the proposed RWE Stargazer Solar Project in McKean County, Pennsylvania.

05/14/2026

Here is the proposed Bear Peak Power solar project layout for Keating Township.

👉 The project is listed as BPP PA Keating PV I LLC, with Bear Peak Power named as the developer. The layout shows a roughly 107-acre project site, about 27 acres of solar array, and an 8 MWac solar project.

Now compare that with the attached public court filing involving Bear Peak Power.

👉 The complaint does not just allege a payment dispute. It also describes how Bear Peak Power allegedly operates: identifying and acquiring solar sites, developing them through land control, interconnection, environmental due diligence, permitting, approvals, engineering, and design — then selling or transferring the development rights to an Independent Power Producer with the capital to build the project.

The complaint also describes development fees tied to project milestones like Notice to Proceed or liquidation/sale of the project.

Those are allegations in a court filing, not a court ruling. But they raise very fair questions for Keating Township residents, landowners, and officials:

❓ Who will actually own this project if it gets approved?
❓ Can Bear Peak sell or transfer it after the land is controlled and the approvals are secured?
❓ Will any future buyer, owner, operator, or assignee be bound by the same township protections?
❓ Are landowners being told that the project could be transferred or sold?
❓ Are all promises being made in writing, or are people relying on sales pitches?
❓ Will battery storage be added now or later?
❓ Who is financially responsible for roads, stormwater, emergency response, cleanup, and decommissioning?

This is not about panic. This is about transparency.

Before any township is asked to approve a project, residents deserve to know who is behind it, how the project is being developed, whether it can be sold, and what protections are in place for landowners, neighbors, roads, water, emergency responders, and taxpayers.

The documents are attached. Take a look for yourself and make up your own mind.

05/13/2026

https://www.pv-tech.org/rwe-expands-illinois-footprint-with-273mw-solar-project/

Today we celebrated the ribbon cutting of Emily Solar in Clark and Cumberland Counties, Illinois.

Today we gathered with local officials, community leaders, landowners, and the crews who built this project to mark a milestone: RWE currently operates 1 GW of energy capacity across Illinois.

We also had the honor of presenting a $15,000 donation to Casey Youth Soccer as part of our ongoing commitment to the communities where we live and work.

Proud of everyone who made this day possible.