Developer: Ridge View Solar Center remains on track

Jan. 30—The developer of a proposed 350 megawatt solar farm in the town of Hartland is still on track despite a six-month moratorium on local review of utility-scale solar energy generation and battery storage plans adopted by the town this week.

Kevin Campbell, director of development for EDF Renewables, anticipates that the six-month halt to town processing of any applications for permits related to utility-scale solar won't have much of an impact on Ridge View Solar Center.

"We're permitted at the state level. The moratorium doesn't really stop or delay our project," Campbell told the Union-Sun & Journal.

According to town supervisor Margaret Zaepfel, the purpose of the moratorium is to give the town board an opportunity to review and make amendments to the two local laws adopted by the town board last year regarding the siting of solar arrays and battery storage.

Campbell, who was one of 20 people to speak at Monday's public hearing on the moratorium, said he and his employer believe the moratorium is "unnecessary" since EDF Renewables does not plan to file its application with the state until 2025.

Currently, EDF has land lease agreements with about 50 landowners in the town, which is deemed enough to host the utility over 2,000 acres.

However, the company is still in the process of negotiating with other landowners for easements to connect "the properties that are signed up" to the grid and proposed project substation, Campbell said.

Approximately 15 to 20 property owners in the town have agreed to grant easements to EDF, which is about 60% to 70% of what will be needed to do the project, according to Campbell.

"It seems right now like things have stalled in the last two, three years, but until we have those easements, we don't know exactly where all the infrastructure will go. We don't have the full footprint for the project. But once we have that, things will start to move more quickly," he said.

Campbell estimates that process will continue throughout this year.

Campbell said EDF Renewables plans to host more public meetings with town officials and residents to solicit more feedback before submitting its "94c" application for a siting permit to the state Office of Renewable Energy Siting next year.

"We're looking to get out some information to the community based on a lot of the feedback we heard (Monday) night and address things such as decommissioning (of the project)," EDF community relations manager Haylee Ferington said.

Campbell mentioned the possibility of bringing in outside "experts" to community meetings to provide information about the proposed project.

"I think job one for us will be to make sure we have other experts there. Just us in a room full of opponents is probably not going get us anywhere," he said.

Tentatively, project construction is slated to begin sometime between 2027 and 2028.

"It's still a ways down the road," Campbell said.