$15.3M Schoharie County solar farm upsets residents
SHARON — This may be one of the most expensive farms for sale in Schoharie County but it doesn’t necessarily fit the region’s agrarian stereotype.
Instead of bright red barns, ponds, stables or manicured lawns, the defining feature of High Hill Farm, offered for $15,350,000 is a 355-acre solar array, which generates more than $600,000 in annual income, according to the real estate listing. Sitting on a total of 1,157 acres, the farm is home to a 50 megawatt solar array being built by Nextera Energy, one of the nation’s largest utility investors.
The facility, though, has drawn controversy in this rural corner of Schoharie County with a neighbor saying his well water has been impacted and town officials saying contractors have roughed up a local seasonal road in order to run underground power lines to the grid.
The East Point solar project was the main subject of a meeting last month. And while there were complaints about the disruption sparked by construction of East Point, many of the 75 or so residents who turned out were also upset at what they say is the lack of local control over solar farms that are increasingly going up in this and other upstate counties, where land is relatively affordable.
“There are a lot of these projects around that people are starting to get concerned about,” said Stuart Salisbury, whose smaller 150-acre farm is next to the solar array.
“We’ve got a real problem out here,” said Republican Assemblyman Chris Tague, who represents the area. He and fellow Republican Sen. Peter Oberacker spoke of com
plaints they’ve heard about the disruption that comes with construction of solar farms, and what residents say is lack of control over these projects, which are largely permitted under state, rather than local, regulations.
Salisbury’s concerns are hyper-local.
He said the water flow on his well has decreased recently and he fears it may be connected with the work going on at the solar array, about a quarter mile away.
He said he’s called Nextera to complain but was told they weren’t doing any blasting. But he wonders if the karst rock formation below the soil has been disturbed by the work to install the panels.
Sharon Town Highway Superintendent Bill Barbic said installation of underground power lines “has created a big mess.” Moreover, they don’t need local permits to do the work.
Nextera spokeswoman Sara Cassidy in an email said the company has responded to complaints according to the state Article 10 law which govern construction of solar arrays and other forms of power plants.
“Nextera Energy Resources is committed to meeting all the appropriate requirements at every step of the process to develop, construct, and operate a renewable energy center. Upon learning that a complaint was submitted, we immediately took action and have met the expectations of the complaint resolution process as set by the project’s Article 10 State permit requirements,” she said.
Officials at the state Public Service department, which regulates utilities, said they have worked to address problems with the project.
“Department staff takes seriously any landowner complaints. Department staff has investigated Mr. Sailsbury’s complaints and is working with the developer to address those complaints as warranted.
Department staff will continue to monitor construction of this facility and address any concerns that are brought to the Department’s attention,” spokesman James Denn said in an email.
While local residents are upset, supporters of solar facilities, including some farmers themselves, say the income from the installations can help many farmers stay in business when they might otherwise have to sell out amid low commodity prices and rising costs.
The listing for the farm, from downstate real estate agent Justin Pieragostini of Coldwell Banker, notes that High Hill is a working farm “which currently produces crops for livestock such as hay, corn, oats and alfalfa, as well as timber. The property combines eight parcels, with several homes that can provide rental income.”
“The revenue generated by the solar farm lease ensures a profitable future for the landowner,” he wrote in the listing.
The 25-year lease for the solar panels, held by Nextera subsidiary Florida Power and Light, provided about 52 percent of High Hill Farm’s income in 2022, or $600,614 out of $1,159,948 total income.
With $447,999 total expenses in 2022, the farm’s net operating income was in the black by $711,949, according to the listing.
The property is owned by Charles Rosner, of Katonah, Westchester County, according to assessment records.
Tax assessments are emerging as another issue. Towns in Schoharie County have gone to court protesting the way solar farms are assessed.
Because the state has what is essentially a standard formula, local leaders fear they are being shortchanged on the taxes the facilities can generate locally.
Tague added there’s no telling what the unknown impacts of solar development will have on rural areas like Sharon.
“It’s like we’re the training ground for everything else,” he said.