Solar case file

Clermont Solar Project

A full public case file on the Clermont Solar Industrial Project in Sergeant Township, McKean County, Pennsylvania, including project scope, permit records, named participants, township and agency awareness, inspection history, erosion and sediment control issues, runoff reporting, and supporting public records.

This page organizes public records, permit documents, inspection reports, correspondence, and publicly reported material related to the Clermont Solar project for public-interest review.

Overview

Project identity, scale, and public record.

Clermont Solar Industrial Project is a utility-scale solar development in Sergeant Township, McKean County. Public records identify the project through permit PAD420008, later permit name-change correspondence tied to PAD420008A1, a recorded earth disturbance area of 681 acres, and receiving waters identified as Smith Run and Fivemile Run. The public record also shows an active construction inspection trail, repeated field discussions involving erosion and sediment controls, and later runoff concerns that drew broader public attention.

Permit

PAD420008

NPDES permit referenced on inspection reports and related correspondence.

Earth Disturbance

680+ Acres

Recorded disturbance area identified in project records.

Receiving Waters

Smith Run / Fivemile Run

Named in the permit record connected to the project.

Building Permit

120 MWac

Township building permit identifies a utility-scale PV solar industrial project.

Named participants

Entities and individuals appearing in the record

Developer / permittee

Energix Renewables and Clermont Solar, LLC appear in the permit and project file, with Zvi Tvizer listed in permit and building-related records.

Co-permittee / contractor

Duffy, Inc. appears on the co-permittee acknowledgment and throughout the field inspection trail, including Rob Eaton as a recurring on-site representative.

Engineering / consultant

GAI personnel appear throughout the inspection history, including Justin Calligaro and Ben Smith.

Government chain

Sergeant Township, McKean County Planning, McKean County Conservation District, DEP, and related staff appear throughout the public record tied to the project.

Timeline

Project chronology

This chronology reflects permits, township and county records, inspection reports, and runoff reporting tied to Clermont Solar.

September 2024

DEP permit name-change acknowledgment

DEP correspondence tied to PAD420008A1 identifies the project in Sergeant Township, notes 681 acres of earth disturbance, names Smith Run and Fivemile Run as receiving waters, and copies Sergeant Township and McKean County Conservation District.

October–November 2024

Active construction and early inspections

Public inspection reports document clearing, sediment pond construction, access work, stream crossings, silt sock placement, and active site preparation during early construction phases.

February 19, 2025

County planning asks Sergeant Township about the project

McKean County Planning correspondence shows the county asking Sergeant Township whether they had received anything because they had been notified there may be a land development / industrial building project coming into the township.

March 18–19, 2025

Building permit forwarded and acknowledged

Township-related correspondence shows the building permit for the large-scale Clermont solar project being forwarded and acknowledged by county planning staff, keeping multiple local entities in the loop as the project advanced.

Spring 2025

Construction advances across the site

Inspections document sediment basins, clearing and grubbing, stump grinding, rock relocation, silt sock placement, and progressive development across areas A through F.

June–November 2025

Repeated control-related field issues documented

Monthly inspections and photo reports document sediment spilling over control measures, erosion at basin 15, shifted risers, trenching-related muddy water, sediment collection in channels, and sediment leaving basin 15 during heavy flow.

March 2026

Runoff concerns become public

Public reporting states that a citizen observed major runoff in Smith Run heading toward East Branch Lake, McKean County Conservation District inspected, DEP was notified, and the issue became a widely discussed public concern.

Public record awareness

What public records show local and state entities knew

The public record shows that Clermont Solar was not an unknown project moving in secret. Permit records, county planning correspondence, building permit records, co-permittee forms, inspection reports, and runoff reporting show a documented chain of awareness involving Sergeant Township, county staff, project representatives, contractors, engineers, McKean County Conservation District, and DEP.

Recorded land interests

Land control, recorded interests, and financing

The public record shows Clermont Solar was not only advancing through permits and construction. Recorder of Deeds filings also show a broader project structure involving recorded property interests, surface rights arrangements, fixture filings, mortgage security, and project financing tied to the industrial solar development.

Sergeant Township

The project appears in township-related records through building permit materials and correspondence, while DEP permit communications also show Sergeant Township copied on relevant project correspondence tied to the permit file.

  • Township copied on DEP-related permit correspondence
  • Township-related building permit record for the solar project
  • Township connected to the county planning communication chain

County & local oversight

McKean County Planning and McKean County Conservation District appear repeatedly in the public record, from questions about the project entering the township to the site inspection trail and later runoff response period.

  • County planning inquiry in February 2025
  • Inspection reports issued by McKean County Conservation District
  • MCCD involved in the runoff response chain

DEP & project team

DEP appears in both the permit record and later runoff reporting. Public records also tie project representatives, co-permittees, contractors, and engineers to the site during active construction and field discussions over time.

  • DEP permit record and name-change acknowledgment
  • Duffy, Inc. as co-permittee / contractor
  • GAI and Energix representatives at inspections

Inspection record

Field conditions documented during construction

Read as a sequence rather than isolated reports, the inspection record shows more than general progress. It shows repeated documented field conditions involving control measures, basin behavior, trenching impacts, muddy runoff paths, erosion, and sediment movement during active construction.

Construction Progress

The site record documents clearing, stump removal, sediment ponds, access roads, stream crossings, poles, panel installation, inverters, electrical stations, and trenching for wire and grounding systems.

  • Clearing and grubbing across multiple areas
  • Sediment basins and inlet / outlet construction
  • Panel, pole, and electrical installation

Control-Related Issues

Inspection notes and photo reports document sediment spilling over silt sock, erosion at basin 15, shifted risers, sediment collecting in channels, muddy water entering drainage features, and repeated discussion of corrective approaches.

  • Sediment topping or spilling over silt sock
  • Erosion and regrading concerns at basin 15
  • Riser movement and resealing discussion

Late 2025 Conditions

Later inspections note trenching in most areas, muddy spots from equipment movement, muddy water entering channels, sediment leaving basin 15 in heavy flow, and the need to monitor whether stabilization measures held.

  • Muddy water tied to trenching and equipment movement
  • Outlet, basin, and channel conditions documented
  • Ongoing stabilization and monitoring language

Runoff & waterways

The public runoff controversy grew out of an already documented record.

Public reporting in March 2026 states that a citizen observed major runoff in Smith Run heading toward East Branch Lake. That reporting states that McKean County Conservation District inspected the site, DEP was notified, and Energix attributed the issue to winter conditions, snowmelt, and frozen ground. The broader public file matters because earlier inspection records had already documented recurring field issues involving sediment control measures, basin behavior, trenching-related impacts, and runoff pathways.

Receiving Waters in Record

Smith Run and Fivemile Run appear in the permit record, with Smith Run also central to the later runoff reporting.

Downstream Concern

Public reporting tied observed runoff movement toward East Branch Lake.

Agency Response Chain

The public record places MCCD and DEP in the response chain after runoff concerns were raised.

Public Meaning

The runoff issue became a public symbol of the broader risks residents had already associated with the project.

Documents & proof

Public records tied to Clermont Solar

This document section organizes permit materials, building records, planning correspondence, inspection reports, photo reports, runoff exhibits, and other source material tied to the Clermont Solar project.

Permit & Township Records

Permit materials, township building permit records, co-permittee forms, and local review documents.

Plans & Site Layout

E&S and PCSM plans, revised layouts, drainage features, basins, wetlands, and site configuration records.

Inspection Reports

Construction inspection records and photo reports documenting field conditions through active buildout.

Runoff & Exhibits

Runoff photos, correspondence, media reporting, and public-interest supporting exhibits.

UCC Fixture Filing

A recorded UCC financing statement lists Clermont Solar, LLC as debtor and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as collateral agent. The filing states that collateral includes all assets of the debtor, including goods that are or become fixtures on the described real estate, together with proceeds and products.

  • Recorded October 20, 2025
  • Instrument No. 202503449
  • Fixture filing tied to Clermont Solar parcels

Surface Rights Grant

A recorded surface rights grant, waiver and covenant between Titus Energy, LLC and Clermont Solar LLC addresses conflicts between mineral rights and the project’s planned surface use. The agreement includes non-entry, waiver, covenant, and surface access provisions connected to the project footprint.

  • Recorded October 10, 2025
  • Instrument No. 202503309
  • References prior oil, gas, and mineral rights records

Mortgage & Security

A recorded open-end fee and leasehold mortgage, assignment of leases and rents, security agreement, and fixture filing ties Clermont Solar, LLC to Wilmington Trust, National Association and states the mortgage secures future advances with a maximum principal indebtedness of $256,906,474.92.

  • Recorded October 20, 2025
  • Instrument No. 202503448
  • Tied to multiple Clermont Solar parcel IDs in McKean County

What the recorded instruments show

Project footprint tied to recorded parcels

The recorded filings connect Clermont Solar to multiple tax map IDs and recorded deeds in Sergeant Township, showing that the project was anchored in formal real-estate and collateral filings, not just permit paperwork.

Fixtures, leases, rents, and security

The mortgage and UCC filings show the project’s real property, improvements, fixtures, contracts, and related rights were part of a broader secured financing structure tied to the industrial solar development.

Mineral and surface rights interaction

The surface-rights agreement shows that subsurface and mineral-rights issues had to be addressed in the land record as part of the project’s buildout and long-term use of the site.

Public record, not speculation

These are recorded county instruments that help explain how Clermont Solar was structured on paper: property, financing, collateral, access, and legal control.

Case file summary

A single public record of the Clermont Solar project

Clermont Solar is not just a proposal on paper. It is a project with a documented public record: permit materials, building records, township and county correspondence, named project participants, co-permittee and contractor involvement, repeated inspections during active construction, recorded field conditions involving erosion and sediment controls, and a runoff controversy that brought broader attention to what was happening on the ground.

Industrial scale

The project record identifies major earth disturbance, utility-scale solar development, grading, drainage features, trenching, and extensive site buildout.

Documented awareness

The public file places Sergeant Township, county staff, MCCD, DEP, and project participants in the documented chain surrounding the project.

Inspection trail

The site was inspected repeatedly, creating a long paper trail of progress, controls, recurring field conditions, and stabilization efforts.

Public significance

This page exists to preserve the documented record in one place for residents, officials, media, and anyone reviewing what Clermont Solar has meant on the ground in McKean County.

Disclaimer

Public records and public-interest review

This page is a public-interest case file compiled from public records, agency documents, inspection reports, permit records, right-to-know responses, publicly available maps, publicly reported media coverage, and other source material believed to be authentic at the time of publication. It is presented for public education, commentary, and review of matters affecting McKean County.

Protect McKean County Wilds does not claim to adjudicate liability or make final legal determinations. Statements on this page are presented as summaries, quotations, or characterizations of underlying source material. Readers are encouraged to review the original records and draw their own conclusions.

If any person or entity believes a document is inauthentic, materially incomplete, misidentified, or quoted inaccurately, they may request review and correction by identifying the specific document, statement, and basis for the requested correction.

All company names, agency names, project names, and individual names appearing on this page are used solely to identify matters appearing in public records or public reporting related to the Clermont Solar project and associated governmental review.

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