Solar array available to residents as electric provider

RED HOOK, N.Y. >> Beginning Saturday, July 20, village residents of Red Hook and Tivoli will be able to sign up to be one of 250 customers that use a planned $4 million municipal solar array be their electric provider.

The program will be open to town residents beginning July 27, followed by an opportunity for all Dutchess and Ulster County residents to participate starting Aug. 18.

Developers from SunCommon expect the installation, which will be constructed on about 8.7 acres of town-owned property behind the town recycling center on Glen Pond Drive, will provide 2.4 megawatts of electricity.

“As far as we’re aware, this is kind of unique in that it also has the potential for the municipality to take over ownership in six or seven years,” company Vice President Jeff Irish said.

Irish added that “we don’t know of any other municipality in New York state that has built a community solar array on public land to cut its costs,” while also including residents.

Under the plan, there will be enough electricity produced to cover municipal government use by the town of Red Hook and the villages of Red Hook and Tivoli, with enough production remaining for the 250 residential properties. Officials said it is important to encourage participation from property owners who don’t have the ability to install solar equipment.

“Because of the orientation of the trees, the proximity to other structures, quite often (village residences) are an entity that’s left out of participation in the transition to renewable energy sources,” town Supervisor Robert McKeon said.

In a press release, SunCommon said that, for residential customers, there will not be any upfront costs and an easy opt-out process.

Irish said he expected residential customers will save about 10 percent on electric bills during the repayment period.

“Generally, when thirdparty finance companies finance these things,

they want to hold on to it and get the return themselves,” he said. “That’s the unique aspect of this project is that we’re working with a finance company that’s willing to sell it to the municipality so the municipality and its residents can see even greater savings.”

Property owners seeking to participate in the Red Hook program can call (866) 452-7652.