Huge solar project planned in towns of Lyme, Brownville - WWNY

Huge solar project planned in towns of Lyme, Brownville

TOWN OF LYME, New York (WWNY) - Another solar project wants to call Jefferson County home. It’s much larger than another nearby solar farm that made the news this summer.

Town of Lyme Supervisor Terry Countryman says it’s a huge 100-megawatt project.

“Sixty percent of it is in the town of Lyme; 40 percent is in the town of Brownville,” he said.

A map of what will be one of the north country’s latest solar projects is included in what the state calls the “largest state investment in renewable energy in United States history.”

Countryman says the company behind the project, AES, has been a good player over the last three years and has adapted to town zoning laws.

Along with negotiations, Countryman says there is one last hurdle to jump.

“We’re being told from several sources that the grid can’t handle this array yet, so some construction or something is going to have to happen to get them online,” he said.

There’s currently one solar farm in the town of Lyme in Chaumont. Over the summer, a lithium-ion battery caught fire and Countryman says it has been on the minds of many, including state Senator Mark Walczyk.

“Any community needs to be hyper-vigilant about ongoing projects and final approvals of projects, especially when it comes to energy storage,” said Walczyk (R. - 49th District).

But this project won’t have lithium-ion batteries on site.

“At least for this specific project, the concern about lithium-ion battery storage and unproven technologies being applied shouldn’t be a concern of local residents,” said Walczyk.

A 19.9-megawatt solar facility for the town of Gouverneur was also chosen by the state to move forward.

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