LILLY — Cambria County’s solar panel project is continuing to progress after the commissioners approved an interconnection reimbursement agreement Thursday with MEI Manor LLC, said Chief Clerk Alex Ashcom.

As part of the project, the county hopes to install solar fields to power the Cambria County Prison, the Cambria County Courthouse and surrounding county-owned facilities at half the current cost, Ashcom said.

The project received initial approval from Penelec, was pushed to the Pennsylvania Utility Commission for approval and then was sent back to Penelec for an engineering study of the infrastructure around the prison, Ashcom said.

The reimbursement agreement allows Madison Energy, the county’s contractor, to provide payment to Penelec on the county’s behalf for the $10,000 study and, if necessary, a $2,000 restudy fee, according to the commissioners’ meeting agenda.

“Because we’re putting energy into the grid, they want to make sure the infrastructure there can handle the extra energy going in, and if it can’t, then our contractor, Madison, has to pay for the upgrades to allow for that extra energy,” Ashcom said.

“So they’re paying for this study for which Penelec charges a fee,” he added. “The county will not be paying for the study.”

Ashcom said he doesn’t know when the project will be completed. But county officials are excited by how fast the project is progressing, he said.

“We’re going to keep moving and keep pushing as much as we can,” Ashcom said. “This is another one of the stages in the commonwealth’s approval process.”

In other business

During the meeting, held at the Lilly-Washington Public Library, the commissioners also approved a proclamation last week as child welfare professionals appreciation week.

President Commissioner Scott Hunt said the county’s children and youth services professionals have “tirelessly safeguarded countless children from harm, often placing themselves in danger and navigating emotionally challenging situations to ensure the protection and well-being of children across Cambria County.”

Cambria County CYS Supervisor Brandi L. Yeckley said the entire agency appreciates the commissioners’ support.

“It’s a tough job, so it’s nice to know that we have some backup from some of the highest (officials) in the county,” Yeckley said, adding the agency’s main objectives are child safety, permanency and well-being.

“If there is a child that is being mistreated in their home, we do everything that we possibly can to keep children in their home. But there are, unfortunately, sometimes where there may have to be a removal,” Yeckley said.

“But then we always work toward reunification. That’s our No. 1 goal,” she said.

If people suspect child abuse or neglect, they should call ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313 to report it, Yeckley said.

As long as the caller is able to provide an address, ChildLine will send the report to the correct county jurisdiction for investigation, Yeckley said.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.