Floating solar panels on North Country waterways?

ALBANY, New York (WWNY) — Could floating solar panels make their way to a lake or pond near you? Local Legislators and environmental advocates hope not.

A bill passed the state Senate this week, calling for a floating solar incentive and education program.

It would allow solar panels to float on bodies of water, but it doesn’t have language that excludes any body of water, natural or not.

Bill lacks specific restrictions

“It would be canals, man-made reservoirs, man-made lakes, and industrial ponds. Those types of things,” said Sen. Pete Harckham, D-40th District.

Sen. Mark Walczyk, R-49th District, is pushing back against the bill.

“If the target was to have smaller-scale, more localized areas just under zoning, then the legislation for us should have been written that way. It isn’t,” Walczyk said.

Environmental concerns raised

Environmental advocates are also calling the bill into question.

“There would be consequences that would include harm to the fish, the plant life, etc.,” said Bridget Wright, executive director of Save the River.

Wrigh is concerned about floating panels interfering with the ecosystem. Less sun means less plankton and algae, the base of the food cycle. She said the whole process is being rushed.

“It needs more research. As we learned from history, anything that’s going to completely alter an entire water system, we’re going to have consequences down the line,” Wright said.

Drinking water questions

The bill is also raising questions about possible effects on drinking water.

“The last thing they want to see are solar panels where they’re fishing and boating. Where they’re drinking the water from, with questionable chemicals on the solar panels,” Walczyk said.

Wright said the panels could gather certain harmful chemicals over time.

The bill will move on to the state Assembly during the next legislative session in January.