Board OK environmental study of proposed solar farm

TOWN OF ULSTER, N.Y. » The Town Board has adopted the final environmental scoping document for the proposed Cypress Creek Renewables project with an amendment that will keep the electric output at 6 megawatts

There also will be two arrays instead of three, but the project still will involve parts of three parcels owned by the Eddyville Corp. between state Routes 32 and 213.

“They are reconfiguring the project to be a 4-megawatt project and a 2-megawatt project,” town Supervisor James Quigley said.

The changes come as the developer has proposed a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement under which it would pay $9,000 annually for every 2 megawatts of electricity produced over a 15-year period once the arrays are operational. The amount would be in addition to the taxes paid based on current assessed value of the land, which is designated as vacant.

“The ... agreement is go-

ing to be negotiated further based upon the changes that they’ve alerted us to,” Quigley said. “The ... agreement only affects the taxation of the improvements. ... In addition to this, the Bloomington Fire District will receive full taxes on a full assessment of the improvements.”

Quigley said the developer has the right to move forward with the project on a tax-exempt basis under state law, but “to be good neighbors, they come to us ... offer us a (tax) agreement.”

Adoption of the environmental scoping document, which will be used to study and address environmental issues during the planning and review process, comes a month after concerns were voiced by three speakers at a public hearing.

In response to those comments, the developer wrote:

• Concerns about impacts to an aquifer have been addressed in the scoping document, with developers not

expecting there to be any issues related to the arrays.

• An assessment will be made regarding the effects of clearing vegetation on the site. The study will include identifying, classifying and mapping the type of vegetation to be cleared.

• There will be a full environmental impact study conducted instead of a short-form assessment of the project.

• The developer plans to have the arrays cover about 64 acres on sections of three parcels that Ulster County reports total 330 acres owned by Eddyville Corp.

The scoping document states the developer plans to have the project be a community-distributed generation facility that will sell electricity on a subscription basis to local residents.

“These customers would receive credits against their Central Hudson Gas & Electric bills and pay [Cypress Creek Renewables] separately for the clean solar energy,” the developer has said.

The project is expected to cost $4.35 million and create 23 full-time construction jobs.