City will likely see solar panels on capped landfill near the Northway and on civic center roof - The Post Star

City will likely see solar panels on capped landfill near the Northway and on civic center roof

Solar panels are coming to the capped landfill near Interstate 87 Northway Exit 18. The project, once finished, will also add panels to the field next to the landfill and to the roof of the Cool Insuring Arena downtown.

The approval to move forward with the plan came at the Glens Falls Common Council meeting, May 14, when the council agreed to work with the “bidder of choice” as outlined by the New York Power Authority, which handled the bidding and choosing project. The bidder will not be named until the contracts a completely signed, officials tell The Post-Star.

During the nearly two years that this project was underway, NYPA considered where best to place solar arrays, contracted to work with the city and looked at three possible types of contracts with solar power developers. In the power purchase agreement, the city would pay a fixed but reduced fee for kilowatt hour produced. Under the Capital Plan, the city would purchase the project directly from the developer after it was complete, but the city would then be responsible for operation and maintenance of the system.

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In the final iteration, Community Solar, the city acts as a landlord on the property and receives a lease payment on the property from the developer. The city also acts as an anchor tenant on the project and receives a preferred rate on the electricity produced.

“It’s a fixed discount instead of a fixed payment,” Jeff Flagg said in a recent interview. He is the city’s director of economic development.

Along with the Cool Insuring arena downtown, the properties are located at 73 and 51 Luzerne Road in Queensbury, but are owned by the city and the local development corporation.

The power authority issued a request for proposals from developers and received seven responses to the "Glens Falls Clean Energy Project."

NYPA evaluated proposals on many factors, city documents say, including qualitative factors such as developer experience and qualifications, the feasibility of the technical design, and the acceptance of project terms.

“NYPA's recommended vendor (Bidder C) provides the City with the best economic and overall value with its proposal,” NYPA’s report to the city says. “The proposal will provide the City with a fixed revenue stream from leasing the landfill sites while also providing an opportunity to lock in a 25-year fixed price for clean energy at the Cool Insuring Arena.”

G. Stephen Thurston is the managing editor of The Post-Star. He oversees the news room. Contact: 518-742-3225, sthurston@poststar.com.