Community solar farms are becoming a more common sight in Chenango County and across New York State.
There are proposed solar project is in the Town of Smyrna and Bainbridge.
Other projects include several built in Norwich and a newly constructed solar project at highway 206 in Coventry.
One company, altuspowerNY, formerly Solar Farms, operates in Norwich. According to the the group’s New York website, community solar is a way to share the benefits of clean solar energy without installing panels to a personal home or business. Panels located at community solar farms generate solar power that is transmitted to local power grids and in return, dollar credits reduce homeowner and renters monthly utility bills.
New York Farm Bureau Director of Communications Steve Ammerman said it is a private property decision for a farm to lease or sell their land to solar developers. The income can help support a family farm.
“However, we are in favor of policies that look to reduce the amount of prime farmland used for solar development that is important to local food production,” Ammerman added.
Chenango County Farm Bureau President Bradd Vickers said, “The loss of farmland is concerning. Without food, the rest doesn’t matter. Many older farmers with no family interested in taking over the farm see this as a way out.”
Vickers said without a good lawyer who’s knowledgeable about these particular leases, many find themselves in a losing situation. He said his attorney calls it the “flashbulb affect:” big money without knowing the long term effects.
“The farmer would be better off selling the land to the solar companies; less liability,” he added. “The Farm Bureau is not opposed to renewable energy but we are concerned with the loss of good farmland.”
A few years ago, Guilford Supervisor George Seneck said farmers in town were approached with an offer of $1,200 an acre but it didn’t go through.
Source: evesun.com
Categories: New York, Energy