Massive solar project approved in Glen, local leaders warn of long-term economic losses

GLEN, N.Y. (WRGB CBS6) — New York State has approved a large-scale solar project in Montgomery County that officials say will help meet clean energy goals and boost local revenues, but county and town leaders warn the project could instead lead to long-term economic losses for surrounding communities they say far outweigh benefits.

Last week, New York’s Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission issued a final siting permit for Mill Point Solar I, a 250-megawatt industrial solar facility planned for 2,666 acres in the Town of Glen. State officials say the project will generate enough electricity to power more than 33,000 homes and be operational by 2027.

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The state also says the project will bring nearly 290 construction jobs, invest in local infrastructure and provide $1.25 million in utility bill credits to town residents over its first 10 years of operation.

But Montgomery County and town of Glen officials say an economic analysis commissioned by the county paints a far different picture.

“2,000 acres is four miles. It’s from [Glen] all the way down to Fonda. You can’t even see where the end point is from here,” said Meghan Manion, Montgomery County Attorney, to CBS6’s Briana Supardi as they overlooked the valley where the panels will go.

Under the state’s approval framework, the developer is expected to enter into a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes, or PILOT, agreement with the municipalities their project is in rather than pay traditional property taxes for the first 15 years of operation. Those agreements have not yet been finalized.

Glen Town Supervisor Stephen Helmin said local officials estimate that revenue under a PILOT would amount to roughly 25% of what the land would generate if taxed as a traditional industrial property.

“It’s still additional revenue,” Helmin said, “But it doesn’t come close to what a comparable industrial investment would be valued at.”

County leaders say that reduced tax revenue is only part of the concern.

“You can’t put houses there, you can’t put businesses there — you can only have solar there for basically half a century,” Manion said. “That limits Montgomery County’s ability to grow.”

According to the county-commissioned economic report, the project could result in an estimated $191.9 million in agricultural losses and $185.3 million in tourism losses over 35 years. The report also cites a $380 million opportunity cost, arguing the land could generate far more revenue if developed for residential, commercial or traditional industrial uses.

Combined, the report estimates a total long-term economic impact of more than $757 million.

With thousands of acres being transformed from countryside landscape to mental panels, there are also concerns about its impact on property values, further reducing the county’s tax base.

“Based on actual Montgomery County property values around solar farms here, we’re anticipating to have surrounding property values go down in value,” said Manion.

In response, the New York State Department of Public Service disputed the report’s conclusions, saying it overstates potential losses by comparing the project to a hypothetical industrial development that does not reflect the land’s current tax status as farmland.

“The scenario in the report in which the property is considered an industrial site is not reflective of the current tax treatment of the site,” the department said in a statement. “In reality, the PILOT agreement is likely to increase tax revenues to the municipalities.”

The department said the report misconstrued information submitted by the developer and raised issues outside the scope of the renewable-energy permitting process, which includes consideration of social, economic and environmental impacts. State officials also emphasized that the project will be built on privately owned land, where participating farmers chose to lease their property.

Local officials maintain that while individual farmers may benefit from stable lease payments, the broader community could face long-term financial consequences.

“This isn’t just about one parcel or one landowner,” Manion said. “It’s about what this decision means for the county’s future tax base and economic growth.”

PILOT and host community agreements for the project are expected to be negotiated in the coming months.