Town mulls revisions to proposed solar array law

RHINEBECK, N.Y. » Town Board members expect to overhaul proposed solar array regulations intended to be a way for residents to support renewable energy.

Supervisor Elizabeth Spinzia said comments from a solar array developer included suggestions that language in the law should be revised.

“We’re going to look at changing the law,” she said.

In the current proposed law, solar projects would be allowed in most districts if the produced electricity is for town property owners. The projects would need to have at least 10 co-owners unless the installation is on a multi-family building and would be serving those residents.

Carson Power Managing Director Emilie Flanagan in a June 22 letter noted her company is seeking to construct an array that involves 12 acres in Rhinebeck and 37 acres in the town of Red Hook. She wrote that the current proposed law would make it “incredibly difficult” to find locations near a convenient power grid connection.

“We believe that a 10-acre maximum threshold, regardless of the zoning district or parcel size, would be the most appropriate as it would allow for proper setbacks to be established and allow for … a feasible point of interconnection to accommodate a community solar system,” she wrote.

Carson Power would also like the town to reduce the setback requirements from 100 feet in the front and 50 feet along the sides and rear. Under state Energy Research and Development Authority guidelines, that would be 30 feet in the front, 15 feet along property sides and 25 feet from the rear property line.

“NYSERDA does not use fencing as a restriction and, instead, notes that fencing, access roads and landscaping may occur within the setback,” Flanagan wrote. “We recommend that the fencing setback provision is eliminated and, instead, the setback is measured to the structure solar racking.”

Spinzia said there will need to be consideration of how arrays would impact the character of the community.

“I don’t know that we could accommodate huge solar fields in Rhinebeck where there are (grid connections) that Central Hudson has,” she said. “I’m all for renewable power but we also have to protect our viewsheds.”

Dutchess County Planning Board members did not make suggestions while town planners asked that pole-mounted equipment be added as an array option with the maximum permitted height increased beyond 15 feet.