Greater Johnstown School District voters Tuesday approved a referendum on an energy performance contract that calls for the installation of a 2-megawatt solar array on district-owned land behind the high school.

The $11 million project is fully funded through federal incentives and guaranteed energy savings over time, with no tax impact.

Voter approval, however, qualified the district for an extra 10%, or $1,045,000, in state aid.

Polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday and the district reported the final vote was 212 in favor to 164 against.

“We would like to thank the Johnstown community for their continued support of our District, and for their vision in recognizing how this project will benefit our students — both now and for generations to come,” Superintendent Alicia D. Koster said in a statement. “This project has the potential to shape the future of our District while proactively preparing us for the reality that the District’s electrical needs and costs will continue to rise over time.”

Tuesday marked the second time the district put the issue before voters. Voters narrowly rejected the proposal back in July in a 115 to 110 vote.

The district has selected John W. Danforth Co., an energy service company, to construct the 2-megawatt solar array on nine acres of district owned-property behind the high school that will produce approximately 3.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. The output is expected to cover 110% of the district’s annual electricity consumption.

As part of the agreement, Danforth would guarantee the energy savings and maintenance of the array for up to 18 years.

If Danforth were to fall short of its projected savings, the company would reimburse the district directly.

The district would have an option to extend the maintenance agreement to cover the lifespan of the system, which is estimated to be between 25 and 30 years.

The district is expecting to receive as much as $2 million to $3 million in federal incentives, which are set to decrease in 2027. The project is also expected to receive $8.62 million in state aid over the next 15 years if the referendum is approved. That number would have dropped to $7.6 million if voters struck down the referendum for a second time.

The project is also expected to create $9.4 million in revenue for the district, which can be used to support future budgets.

At the end of the agreement, the district has the option to either extend the energy performance contract or remove the solar array.

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