Apr. 9--The Lancaster County Career & Technology Center's three campuses may go solar.

The CTC board of directors has signed a letter of intent to have PPL Renewable Energy build "solar farms" around its schools in Mount Joy, Willow Street and Brownstown with the goal of cutting electricity bills by $45,000 a year.

The CTC would provide the land for acres of solar panels, which PPL would install at its expense.

In exchange for the land, the utility would provide electricity to the schools at a reduced cost and would work with CTC officials to develop a "green" energy curriculum for its schools.

"It's a win-win for us," said Dave Warren, CTC executive director.

What PPL would gain from the partnership is additional electricity production capacity and the ability to generate alternative-energy credits to help it comply with environmental regulations.

Solanco School District is considering a similar venture with PPL involving wind turbines, but that proposal is "just in the talking stages," said Tim Schrom, the district's business manager.

A yearlong wind study likely would be required before the project could proceed, he said.

The CTC proposal is closer to fruition, although neither side has formally committed to the project.

PPL plans to use federal stimulus funds to pay for about half the cost of the solar panels, Warren said. If that money is released in the next few months, the project could get under way by fall.

Warren said PPL would install the solar panels on five to seven acres of open land at each school at a cost of about $4 million to $7 million per installation.

Utilities must amass credits to comply with a state law mandating that at least 2 percent of the energy they sell to consumers come from alternative sources such as solar and wind. That requirement will increase to 8 percent by 2021.

Utilities are permitted to sell or trade their credits to other energy producers if they've met their quotas.

PPL officials were unavailable to comment on the CTC or Solanco proposals.

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