Independent consultant asked to weigh in on Hartland solar project

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

Jul. 15—In late June, the Town of Hartland sent out a letter to its residents regarding the Ridge View Solar Project. The project was announced in 2019 and soon gathered a firm opposition.

In 2019, Hartland Supervisor Ross Annable won his reelection campaign by 407 votes but that didn't stop his opponent, Mike Outten, a detractor of "industrial solar energy," to sound off on the potential for the 2,000-acre project.

"I want to thank all of our volunteers and all of the voters who came out and supported us by casting their votes as to where we stand on this issue," Outten said. "We came to the people with the truth and the people want the truth especially when it pertains to their way of life. ... There wasn't time enough to reach every home to inform them of the magnitude of the proposed project that is being pushed on us by a select few."

In the months that followed, meetings and open houses to educate the public on the new development were forced to cancel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through it all, Annable said he was looking for an "independent" study to highlight the pros and cons of the project.

Annable found that vendor in BE3corp, an engineering firm with a strong background in environmental consultation.

In the same June mailing to residents, president of BE3corp, Jason Brydges, responded to comments in a memorandum form regarding several issues, including hunting, the size of the project, zoning changes, explosive battery storage systems and how much money EDF stands to make in this project, as well as how much taxing entities like the town stood to gain.

Brydges said that he has been involved with close to 20 different solar array projects across the state, so he does have experience with renewable energy. However, this is the first time he's been asked by a municipality to weigh in on such developments.

"The town had gathered different questions, complaints," Brydges said. "These aren't new questions. Many of the arrays we supported as consultants, a lot of their concerns were similar."

Brydges also noted that from an engineering background, it was "easy" to respond to the concerns.

"Engineering is very black and white. Yes and no," he said. "It's easy to answer questions with facts."

From his point of expertise, Brydges said he was not sure if the Ridge View Solar Project would be completed. He said that many developers have had to pull out of such solar arrays, whether they're wanted by the community or not.

"The difficulty is the numbers," he said. "How do we make it work (for the municipality, the developer, and the residents) is the really difficult part."

The memorandum came with a letter from the Hartland Town Board, as well as a survey. It asks residents to complete and send into Hartland Town Hall by Aug. 5. A phone number for questions was provided at 1-716-327-132.