The Watertown Daily Times has written an article on an upcoming Solitude Solar Community Solar Farm project in Lewis County, NY!
Community solar project proposed near Croghan on legislature chairman’s farmland
“CROGHAN — During his tenure as Lewis County’s Legislature chairman, Michael A. Tabolt has had a hand in several green energy projects, including the county’s ongoing solar project.
Now, Mr. Tabolt, who is not seeking re-election this fall, could be in line to host one of the state’s first so-called community solar projects, intended to give residents the chance to buy in for expected savings on their electricity costs.
“It would be the first one in our area,” he said of the proposed 2.8-megawatt New Bremen Solar Farm on cropland in the town of New Bremen, near the village of Croghan.
Abundant Solar Energy Inc., Toronto, Ontario, in partnership with Solitude Solar, Latham, is planning the farm on a portion of a 102.6-acre parcel off Route 126 between Croghan and Beaver Falls.
“I really do think it’s the best use of solar energy that we have,” said Mark Richardson, president of Solitude Solar.
Legislation adopted in late 2015 allows for the development of solar farms that provide power to multiple subscribers, according to information provided by the developers. An anchor tenant, like the town or a local business, may purchase up to 40 percent of the energy, with the rest of the subscribers being residential and small business customers.
Melissa Clark, vice president of business development at Abundant Solar Energy, said the target savings, which shows up as a monthly credit on subscribers’ electric bills, is 10 percent. However, that varies based on costs associated with each project, including the amount charged by the local utility company, National Grid in this case, to interconnect with the electrical grid, she said.
While subscribers to the proposed project here could come from anywhere in a seven-county zone, the intent would be to solicit interest from the local community before extending the offer further, Ms. Clark said. “We want local people to benefit,” she said.
“That was nice,” Mr. Tabolt said. “It’s not just one benefiting. It’s the whole community that can benefit.”
