Residents close to the proposed 125MW photo voltaic farm are questioning why prime farmland is getting used as an alternative of former coal-fired energy plant property.
BARKER, NY – Many packed the Barker Central School Auditorium on Tuesday for a public listening to a few proposed 125MW photo voltaic farm in Somerset.
An organization referred to as AES proposed the mission on the outdated energy plant on Rt. 18 in Somerset.
The public listening to was sponsored by the NYS Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES), the company tasked with ruling whether or not or not the mission can proceed.
The plan requires 1000’s of panels to be constructed on a whole bunch of acres of farmland. The farm is owned by Beowulf Electric and Data, and is a part of their buy of a former coal-fired energy plant.
One one that spoke out towards the plans was Lyndsy Payne, whose household lives throughout the road from the previous energy plant.
According to the plans, his home might be surrounded on three sides by a whole bunch of photo voltaic panels.
“There’s nothing left,” Payne mentioned. “You can see the lake from my home, you possibly can see the deer and the wildlife and the whole lot and the sundown, and it simply disappears.”
While some individuals expressed opposition to the concept of photo voltaic power throughout the assembly, nearly all of those that got here to the open mic had been towards the concept of the farm getting used for a photo voltaic farm.
Many of the attendees didn’t perceive why AES won’t construct the photo voltaic mission throughout the fenced property of the previous energy plant.
“We use as a lot of the land as is obtainable to us,” mentioned Mario Rice, Development Manager of AES. “Some of it’s outdoors of our leased area and the owner has different plans for this facility.”
One of the plans is a proposed worldwide port between Somerset and Hamilton/Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
Most of the land, nevertheless, just isn’t at present accessible for growth. Large parts of the property are a delegated brownfield web site and the property additionally comprises a landfill – each of which have been recognized by New York State as prime places for photo voltaic growth.
The Office of Renewable Energy Siting will weigh its choices concerning approval for the mission. A call is predicted to be made by the tip of the 12 months, in keeping with sources who spoke to 2 On Your Side.
The Legislator of Niagara Co. that Shawn Foti advised officers from ORES that it’s their duty to make sure that the state follows its personal legal guidelines.
“This property is state-defined, protected farmland with prime soils,” Foti mentioned. “The RAPID motion particularly states that prime farmland, prime land and farmland of statewide significance, needs to be averted if potential for photo voltaic growth.”
Foti is a number one voice of consciousness concerning the mission for the communities close to the previous energy plant.
Like most people who spoke Tuesday night time, he is not towards solar–he simply desires the panels to be constructed on brownfield websites and landfills.
Foti mentioned he isn’t satisfied that AES is proscribed to agricultural use reasonably than brownfield and landfill parts of the property.
“I do not purchase their reply,” Foti mentioned. “They said that it was not financially possible for them to make use of the landfills.”
New York State is predicted to make a monetary dedication for the mission, as Governor Hochul talked about the mission in a inexperienced power speech in October 2023–but no financial determine has but been made public.
“These are closely sponsored,” Foti mentioned. “So if the taxpayers are paying for it they’re [AES] should comply with the regulation and comply with the desires of the neighborhood that truly funds these amenities.”
