Hartland solar laws going to hearings Thursday

Benjamin Joe |, Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, N.Y.
·2 min read

Mar. 7—GASPORT — The Hartland town board will hold public hearings on two proposed local laws pertaining to solar energy systems Thursday night.

The proposed laws, addressing the siting of solar energy systems and battery energy storage systems, were introduced at the board's February business meeting.

Currently, the informally proposed, utility scale Ridge View Solar Project is much on the minds of some Hartland residents. The project, spread over 2,000 acres, would put 350 megawatts into the grid, enough to power 90,000 households, according to the developer, EDF Renewables.

Now that the draft local laws have been put out there for everyone to see, town supervisor Ross Annable said, the public hearings are the board's opportunity "to get everyone's input in this as it might be needed."

"This is a lengthy piece of legislation for the town. There are things that we know the state has already set standards on, but we are going to use this law to help mitigate some of those losses," Annable said.

According to Drew Reilly, the Wendel engineer who drafted the battery storage local law, the state has models for regulating solar siting and battery storage, but many local communities have their own laws in addition. Hartland decided to borrow from the Town of Somerset's local solar siting law.

"Each municipality should have laws that take into consideration the community," Reilly said.

Local "industrial" solar energy opponent Barb Outten denounced the draft laws upon their introduction. Both were "derived from guidance from NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) and other state documents that promote the agenda of Albany," she charged.

"Here we see an example that Albany is dictating what needs to be put into the local laws to satisfy their political agenda, and yet, the opposing side has no voice to oppose the agenda of Albany, that stands the potential of using unproven technology in a rural agricultural community."

This week Annable said in a telephone interview that he sees the state models as "resources" that can be adapted by the town.

"Between our attorney and our engineer, I think they're providing us with the best laws to establish," he said.

The draft laws likely will be put through multiple public hearings, Annable said. As new information is shared in a hearing, the draft may be "tweaked" and then the revision goes to a new hearing.

EDF Renewables has not yet applied to the state Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) for a permit to develop Ridge View Solar Project.

Annable said the town board's intent is to "have these laws enacted so that ... when the (Ridge View) process begins we will be able to use those to mitigate and work through the process."

The public hearings will begin after the 7 p.m. Thursday opening of the town board meeting.