News

Farmers seek carveout to host solar power installations

The Daily News of Newburyport · last updated

BOSTON — A recommendation from a task force the Legislature created a decade ago resurfaced last week before the Revenue Committee, which took testimony related to the machinations involved when a farm wants to use a portion of its land to generate both renewable electricity and supplemental income.

The decade-old idea was brought to the committee by someone whose last stint in state government predates it, as Rep. Mark Sylvia testified for the first time as a representative and not in his Patrick administration-era roles as energy undersecretary or commissioner of the Department of Energy Resources.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAmw6 D2:5 9:D 3:== H@F=5 2==@H E96 72C>=2?5 @H?6CD E@ D6A2C2E6 D@>6 =2?5 7C@> E96 AC@G:D:@?D @7 r92AE6C e`p[ E96 DE2E6 =2HD 562=:?8 H:E9 G2=F2E:@? @7 72C> AC@A6CEJ 2?5 2DD6DD>6?E @7 =@42= AC@A6CEJ E2I6D[ E@ 36 FD65 7@C C6?6H23=6 6?6C8J 86?6C2E:@? 2?5 A2CE:4F=2C=J D@=2C 2CC2JD] %96 :562 H2D 2>@?8 E96 C64@>>6?52E:@?D :DDF65 :? 2 a_`e C6A@CE 7C@> E96 DE2E6’D rC2?36CCJ #6G:E2=:K2E:@? %2D< u@C46]k^Am

kAm“%96 A@D:E:G6 :>A24ED :?4=F56 96=A:?8 E96 72C>6C 86?6C2E6 :?4@>6 E@ DFAA@CE E96:C 28C:4F=EFC2= 24E:G:E:6D H9:=6 86?6C2E:?8 4=62?[ =@42= 6=64EC:4:EJ :? DFAA@CE @7 E96 4@>>@?H62=E9’D 4=62? 6?6C8J 2?5 4=:>2E6 8@2=D[” E96 u2:C92G6? s6>@4C2E[ H9@ H@C<65 :? E@A C@=6D 2E D@=2C 2?5 32EE6CJ DE@C286 56G6=@A6C q=F6(2G6 27E6C E96 !2EC:4< 25>:?:DEC2E:@?[ D2:5 2E =2DE %F6D52J’D 962C:?8] “%96 @E96C A@D:E:G6 :>A24E :D 86?6C2E:?8 E2I C6G6?F6 7@C E96 E@H?] $6A2C2E65 =2?5 H:== 36 DF3;64E E@ C62= 6DE2E6 E2I6D 2?5 A6CD@?2= AC@A6CEJ E2I6D @? E96 D@=2C 2CC2J]”k^Am

kAmqC:2? (:4<[ E96 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C @7 E96 r2A6 r@5 rC2?36CCJ vC@H6CD pDD@4:2E:@?[ E@=5 E96 4@>>:EE66 E92E E96 3:== :D >62?E 2D 2 H2J E@ 8:G6 4C2?36CCJ 8C@H6CD — H9@ AC@5F465 E96 DE2E6’D E@A 4C@A F?E:= 42??23:D 3642>6 =682= — E96 23:=:EJ E@ AFE FA “2 C6=2E:G6=J D>2==\D:K65 2CC2J]” w6 D2:5 :E H@F=5 2AA=J E@ =2?5 E92E :D DF3;64E E@ r92AE6C e`p 3FE :D ?@E 36:?8 FD65 7@C AC@5F4E:@?[ D@ 72C>6CD 4@F=5 86?6C2E6 6?6C8J @? :E H:E9@FE 724:?8 E96 A6?2=E:6D 2?5 32CC:6CD ?@C>2==J 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 492?86D @7 FD6]k^Am

kAm“(6 2=H2JD H2?E E9:D E@ 36 2 72C>:?8\7:CDE >6?E2=:EJ] %92E’D E96 2AAC@249 E92E H6’G6 E2<6? H:E9 E9:D[ :? E92E E96 AC:>2CJ AFCA@D6 @7 E92E =2?5 ?665D E@ 36 72C>:?8 2?5 E92E ?665D E@ 4@?E:?F6] $@ :7 E96C6 H2D E@ 36 2 D@=2C 4@>A@?6?E E@ :E[ :E H@F=5 C62==J ?665 E@ 36 25;246?E 2?5 D64@?52CJ E@ :ED AC:>2CJ AFCA@D6 @7 36:?8 2 72C>[” (:4< D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E :E H@F=5 36 :>A@CE2?E 7@C =2H>2<6CD E@ D6EE=6 @? A2CE:4F=2CD =:<6 E96 D:K6 @7 2==@H65 D@=2C :?DE2==2E:@?D] “*@F 42?’E 92G6 E96 D42=6 E:AA65 D@ >F49 E92E ?@H E96 >2;@C :?4@>6 DEC62> :D 364@>:?8 E96 2=E6C?2E:G6 6?6C8J 2?5 ?@E E96 72C>]”k^Am

kAm%96 :562 @7 D6A2C2E:?8 =2?5 7C@> r92AE6C e`p 5:5?’E D:E H6== H:E9 #6A] uC2?4:D4@ !2F=:?@ @7 |6E9F6?[ H9@ D2:5 96 <?@HD E96 36?67:ED @7 C6?6H23=6 6?6C8J E@ 72C>D 7C@> 2? 2AA=6 @C492C5 :? 9:D 5:DEC:4E E92E D2G6D E9@FD2?5D @7 5@==2CD @? 6?6C8J 4@DED 6249 J62C H:E9 2 D@=2C 2CC2J]k^Am

kAm“x’> 2== 23@FE 72C>6CD[ 3FE E96J’C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 6?E6C:?8 2?@E96C :?5FDECJ E92E 92D ?@E9:?8 E@ 5@ H:E9 72C>:?8] %96J’C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 6?E6C:?8 E96 6?6C8J :?5FDECJ[” !2F=:?@ D2:5] w6 25565 =2E6C[ “pD 2 DE2E6[ H6 8:G6 8C2?ED E@ 72C>6CD ;FDE E@ >2<6 DFC6 E96J <66A 72C>=2?5 2D 72C>[ ?@E E@ FD6 :E 7@C @E96C 3FD:?6DD AFCA@D6D ]]] x7 H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 8@ E@ 2?@E96C :?5FDECJ[ J@F <?@H[ =:<6[ E92E’D E@E2==J 5:776C6?E]”k^Am

kAm$J=G:2 D2:5 E96 3:== 96 @776C65 =2DE %F6D52J :D :56?E:42= E@ @?6 E92E E96 #6G6?F6 r@>>:EE66 25G2?465 72G@C23=J =2DE D6DD:@?] %96 4@>>:EE66 92D EH@ ?6H 492:C>6? E9:D D6DD:@?[ $6?] y2>:6 t=5C:586 @7 |2C=3@C@F89 2?5 #6A] p5C:2? |252C@ @7 t2DE q@DE@?] }6:E96C 6IA=:4:E=J E:AA65 E96:C 92?5 @? E96 3:== =2DE H66< 2?5 E96C6 H2D ?@ E6DE:>@?J @776C65 :? @AA@D:E:@?]k^Am

kAm“x H@F=5 ;FDE ?@E6 :? E96 5:DEC:4E x C6AC6D6?E[ H9:49 92D 2 =2C86 >2?J 2AA=6 @C492C5D[ :D E92E @?6 @7 E96 72C>D[ r2C=D@? ~C492C5D[ D6G6C2= J62CD 28@ 3F:=E D@=2C @?[ x’5 D2J[ =6DD E92? 2? 24C6 2?5 :E ?@H 4@G6CD h_T @7 E96 6?6C8J ?665D @7 E96 72C>[” t=5C:586 D2:5] “$@ :E’D 32D:42==J D2G65 E96 72>:=J 72C> 7C@> A6C92AD[ J@F <?@H[ 36:?8 56G6=@A65 @C EFC?65 :?E@ 9@FD:?8 @C D@>6E9:?8]”k^Am

kAm$6?] q6442 #2FD49 @7 }66592> BF6DE:@?65 H9J 4=62? 6?6C8J :D D:?8=65 @FE H96? 72C>D 92G6 @E96C ?665D 2D H6==]k^Am

kAm“(9J D@=2C 2D 5:DE:?4E 7C@> 2?JE9:?8 6=D6n (9J D9@F=5 H6 @776C E9:D A2CE:4F=2C 36?67:E 7@C E96 4C62E:@? @7 D@=2C 2D 5:DE:?4E 7C@>[ D2J[ H2E6C AFC:7:42E:@?[ C:89En %96D6 2C6 2== ?665D ]]] %96J 2=D@ ?665 4=62? H2E6C[ 2?5 E96J ?665 9@FD:?8 7@C A6@A=6 H9@ 4@>6 2?5 H@C<[” D96 D2:5] “p?5 D@ H9J D9@F=5 H6 AC@G:56 E9:D 7@C D@=2C @?=J[ 2D @AA@D65 E@ 2?J @7 E96 @E96C ?665D @7 @FC 28C:4F=EFC2= 3FD:?6DD6Dn”k^Am

kAm$J=G:2 >256 4=62C E92E E96 3:== DA62<D E@ “C6?6H23=6 6?6C8J” 2?5 ?@E D@=2C DA64:7:42==J 2?5 (:4<D 6IA=2:?65 E92E E96 :562 8C6H @FE @7 5:D4FDD:@?D E92E H6C6 DA64:7:4 E@ 4C2?36CCJ 72C>6CD 2E E96 E2D< 7@C46’D >66E:?8D]k^Am

kAm“%96 D@=2C @AA@CEF?:E:6D H6C6 BF:E6 =2C86 3642FD6 @7 E96 H2J E92E E96 4C2?36CCJ 3@8D 2C6 C6=2E:G6=J @A6?[ E96 25;246?E =2?5 :D 2=C625J 4=62C65 @7 EC66D] %96C6’D 2 =@E @7 A@D:E:G6 2DA64ED H96C6 J@F 4@F=5 AFE :? 2 D@=2C 2CC2J[ ?@E 92G6 E@ E2<6 EC66D 5@H? 2?5 4=62C 2 7@C6DE E@ 5@ D@>6 @7 E9@D6 E9:?8D[” 96 D2:5] “$@ :E H2D D6E FA ?:46=J] $@ :E H2D C62==J >@C6 @7 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E92? ?646DD2C:=J =@@<:?8 E@ D9FE @FE @E96C @AA@CEF?:E:6D]”k^Am