The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Town opposes solar project
Former mayor supported project without council vote
New Milford now opposes a proposal to add solar panels to generate 20 megawatts of energy on Candlewood Mountain.
The stance — a switch from the previous administration — was made in a brief filed last week by the town, in anticipation of a final decision on the project expected this week from the Connecticut Siting Council.
“Mayor Pete Bass, and at least eight of the nine New Milford Town Council members elected on Nov. 7, 2017, actively oppose the project, reflecting a consensus amongst town residents that the project is more harmful than beneficial,” the town’s brief states. Bass defeated incumbent Mayor David Gronbach, who supported the solar project, in the municipal election.
Rescue Candlewood Mountain, a group of residents opposed to the project, and Ameresco Inc., the company that would install and operate the solar panels, filed briefs.
Under Ameresco’s proposal, it would install about 60,000 panels and feed the power into the New England power grid through the Rocky River substation. The company has scaled back the size of its proposal since its
first submission.
The town’s new brief states Gronbach wrote his letter in support of the project “without the support or vote of Town Council” and “no referendum or Town Meeting has been held to date to determine town electors’ position on the project.” Gronbach’s letter said he was in favor of the project as long as it meets the requirements set out in the payment in lieu of taxes agreement the Town Council signed.
The latest town opinion tells the Siting Council to reject the proposal because
it doesn’t meet all of the appropriate state and federal standards for water quality. It states the project will “have a substantial adverse environmental effect” and the loss of about 95 acres of core forest contradicts a new state law that took effect on July 1.
Under the law, the Siting Council would have to take into consideration the environmental and agricultural effects on the loss of land in exchange for the alternative energy the project would produce. The Siting Council ruled that law doesn’t apply to this project because it went into effect after the petition was filed on June 28. However, it has still been cited during the hearings
by residents in opposition and led the state Department of Agriculture to testify against the project, an unusual move.
Besides environmental concerns, the town echoed residents’ and Rescue Candlewood Mountain’s concerns, including the potential glare the panels could create for pilots at the adjacent Candlelight Farms Airport.
In its own brief, Candlewood Solar, the subsidiary of Ameresco, contends the plan has no adverse environmental effects. The company altered its site plan to reduce its effect on the wildlife’s habitat.
Ameresco states the developer will deed 100 contiguous acres of land to a local conservation trust to protect that land, which will include sections of the Blue Trail — a well-known hiking trail system that spans the state.
The project would provide environmental benefits to the state by generating alternative energy, which could be used by residents from the New England grid, Ameresco officials noted in their brief.
Ameresco said it will use erosion controls outlined by the state when it installs the panels.
The brief states the project will generate about $2.7 million over 20 years and create local jobs.
Ameresco’s brief states the project is a good alternative to a multifamily residence, which is zoned for the site. The town said the proposed solar project doesn’t meet the town’s zoning for that spot.