Essex community weighs in on proposed solar farm

ESSEX | Last month, several concerned residents filed into the Whallonsburg Grange Hall to learn more about the proposed solar farm in town, leaving the planning board with no other option but to table the discussion for a later date. "There have been so many back-and-forth iterations on this project that it will be good to set that stage for what is actually being applied for," said Todd Goff, chairman of the Town of Essex Planning Board, at the public hearing, which, if officials decided to close the hearing, would've started a 62-day clock to vote on the project. "By having a second hearing session, it will allow us a chance to wait for the necessary documentation; work more closely with the applicant, property owner, and the town; and make sure that the public fully understands the most up-to-date aspects of the project." Developed by Community Power Group (CPG), an approximate 25-acre solar farm with around 8,770 panels would be placed on an existing field known as Hickory Hill. CPG approached the town with the potential project in January 2023, and officials asked the Washington, D.C.-based company to go through the APA (Adirondack Park Agency) before proceeding any further. "Given that the APA has a rigorous review process, it sometimes results in material changes and sometimes the project not being feasible at all, [but] we wanted to go through that process, which took about two years," said CPG Project Manager Whitney Hughes. After creating a viable project sometime in October 2024, the CPG returned to the town and reintroduced it. "That is when the public notices went out, and we've been continuing to work with the town for the past year to get to the point where we are at now." A public hearing was held last month, during which the planning board and community members expressed their opinions on the project. For instance, some attendees voiced their concerns about how the farm would affect the town's overall look and feel. "We all feel a tremendous tax burden in Essex, and we're particularly sympathetic to those who have a lot of land and are looking at ways to mitigate those tax burdens, but a solar farm does not belong in Essex," said resident Mary Cooper, whose property is adjacent to the proposed solar farm site. "Essex is not a community where you should have to worry about whether you can see the solar panels or not." Saratoga Associates completed a viewshed analysis, a geographic information system technique that identifies visible areas from one or more observer points on a landscape. The proposed 3.9 megawatt solar farm would be located about 850 feet from School Road; 2,400 feet from Elm Street; and 300 and 700 feet from areas of Route 22. The solar panels, approximately 8x4 feet, will be placed no more than 10 feet off the ground and tilted to a maximum of 52 degrees. To help minimize visual impact, about 160 trees — columnar white pines and red oak cedars — will be strategically planted in accordance with the recommendations of the third-party visual consultant. "The columnar white pine allows the desired height to be achieved very quickly, while the eastern red cedar runs a little bit better with the natural visual character of this area," said Matthew Allen, Saratoga Associates principal landscape architect, during the presentation about the trees that will be going into the ground already at 8 to 10 feet tall. "Serviceberry and elderberry will also be mixed in to add a little bit of deciduous and spring and fall color." A game fence will also be installed around the area, and fence mounting will be installed upside down to allow for small wildlife to travel through the farm freely. The fence will also enable the sheep to graze freely, providing them with ample grass to dine on and helping with land management. The sheep would come from J&R Pierce Family Farm, a farm owned and operated by Rebekah and Josh Pierce that specializes in lamb, beef, pork, and poultry, as well as custom solar-grazing (agrivoltaic) solutions, and can travel to northern New York and Vermont. One of the reasons this site was chosen in the first place is that, per the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), it is not prime farmland, said CPG President Mike Borkowski during the hearing. "Visits to the site and discussions with the landowner confirmed the lack of farming history and viability of the land without material alterations or tendering." Since the site is not prime farmland, the landowner isn't eligible for a farm exemption, which would result in reduced property taxes and the elimination of sales tax on eligible business purchases. "That's the whole reason the landowner wanted us to come on this farm to begin with is that they want to keep this land in the family, but they currently pay a huge amount in taxes," Borkowski continued. "[With this project], the landowner will continue to pay the taxes they're currently paying, but there will be a pilot for taxes associated with the solar farm." Besides the landowner, the proposed solar farm will also benefit the community members, as it will generate enough power for 600 to 800 homes. Power users served by NYSEG will be able to indirectly tap into the energy produced by the array in exchange for a discount on their bills. "This project will result in not only economic benefits, but about $2 million-plus in savings over the life of the project for those members of the community, low- to moderate-income families who don't have access because they have credit issues," Borkowski stated. "As it stands right now, the proposed pilot agreement will provide approximately $350,000 of revenue over the first 15 years and a little bit over a million over the life of the project." The lease for this project will last for 25 years, with two five-year extensions. "Just to be clear, we have the right to extend the project, not the landowner. So, we're really looking at a 35-year project, but only if we want to expand it," said Borkowski. If approved, this would be one of CPG's longest-running projects, with the oldest currently being a farm in Massachusetts implemented in 2010. Town of Essex Planning Board member Anh Thu Cunnion asked whether, while the solar panels come with a 35-year warranty, what would happen if CPG went bankrupt. Since 2023, according to an article by Clark Savage through Energy News Beat, over 100 companies within the U.S. solar industry have filed for bankruptcy or ceased operations — primarily due to rising interest rates, thinning margins, and labor shortages. "While solar companies can go bankrupt, solar projects do not go bankrupt. In fact, that's one of the beauties of solar. In 30 years from today, there's virtually no cost, except for the rent, taxes, and maintenance of these solar facilities," responded Borkowski, who referred to the bankruptcy of SunEdison, one of the world's largest renewable energy developers, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 21, 2016. "In that situation, the most valuable asset from that bankruptcy was the solar project, so the banks and bankruptcy courts immediately stepped in and made sure the rent payments and maintenance were being done on those projects to keep them current so that somebody else could come in and buy them, allowing them to continue to live for another day." The CPG will also have a bond in place to keep them accountable for various aspects of the project, including maintaining the newly planted trees and decommissioning the site when the time comes. Besides the sheep to help with land management, there will also be an on-call electrician for emergencies, such as threatening storms. "We had catastrophic storms in both 2023 and 2024, and we had a drought this year. These are all tied, quite conclusively, to the use of fossil fuels and global warming, while there are still plenty of people out there who deny that," said resident Colin Powers. "[With this project], we have the chance to put distributed local renewable energy in our town and support our energy needs. I feel very strongly that you're not going to find a better project than this." The community was split down the middle in its feelings towards the project. While some residents, like Powers, supported the project, others strongly opposed it, including Greg Owens, who raised concerns about the town's comprehensive plan. "I am not against solar panels, [but] nowhere in the comprehensive plan is this utility-style project permitted," said Owens. "It is not in harmony with the town's comprehensive plan." Essex is in the process of revamping its comprehensive plan, which will examine the town's zoning and local laws to determine where solar energy can be and shouldn't be developed. In September, town officials passed a temporary moratorium on major solar energy systems and battery energy to halt the development of proposed projects — more specifically, ground or roof-mounted energy systems designed and intended to supply energy into a utility grid for off-site consumption and/or for sale to off-site customers — for at least six months. This project, however, is exempt from the moratorium because it has been in the works since 2023, before the moratorium option was even discussed. "I believe some people in town were upset that the moratorium didn't stop this project, but the point of this moratorium was to put a pause on other potential projects temporarily, at least until the comprehensive plan is complete," said Town of Essex Supervisor Ken Hughes, who is in support of this proposed project. "In some areas, you see solar farms all over the place. [...] I personally don't want that for Essex. However, I'm just one person, and just because I'm a supervisor, it doesn't mean I get my way. I want to know what the people think and want for the town, too." Several residents, like Reg Bedell, also expressed concerns about what adding a solar farm would do not only to the Town of Essex, but also to the entire Adirondack Park, which was created in 1892; its forest preserve became part of the New York State Constitution just two years after, when the "Forever Wild" clause was adopted to provide constitutional protection for the lands within the park. "Many of us made the conscious effort to reside in the park, despite greater restrictions on our land, but the Adirondack Park is meant to be forever kept as wild forest lands," he shared. "And this proposed solar farm goes against the intent of this historic area and the nature of the community." Other residents, like Katherine Preston, express how excited she would be if a project like this came to fruition. "Thank God the sun will continue to shine, and thank God that there is a property owner in this town who recognizes that they own a piece of property that is very open, not being used for farming, and would be good for solar panels," shared Preston, a resident who holds an environmental studies degree. "I know what I'm talking about when it comes to environmental stuff, and we really don't have a choice anymore. This is, however, a great choice that the town could make." The Town of Essex Planning Board has yet to schedule a secondary hearing. For more information or updates, visit essexnyewyork.com.

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Essex community weighs in on proposed solar farm

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