NY Republicans send PSC letter requesting renewable transparency...solar company responds
NYS Capital — Earlier this month, 28 Assembly Republicans signed on to a letter requesting “Disclosure and Documentation Regarding Renewable Energy Siting on Protected Lands”.
The letter is penned to the New York State Public Service Commission with the Executive Director of the NYS Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission included.
“It’s from the outreach that I’ve received, as well as my colleagues who have signed on to the letter and many more from constituents in my district, especially,” Assemblymember Matt Simpson, who lead the letter, said. “My district representing the Adirondack Park, or a portion of it, environmental issues are a major concern, and some things really look concerning to many of the constituents I represent. We’re questioning how the siting of these projects are undertaken, what kind of mitigation factors have been completed or planned for, whether it’s wildlife, water, flood zones. I know one community in my district just had a Town Board meeting, issued a moratorium on a proposed battery storage project adjacent to the river within the flood zone.”
The letter formally requests the PSC and ORES:
-to provide a list of batter energy storage systems along with wind and solar projects that are near wetlands, farmland, protected areas and migratory wildlife zones
-ORES criteria and documents used to evaluate environmental impacts, specifically when DEC recommendations are modified, overridden, or deemed non-binding
-Instances when ORES approved or is considering approval of contracts in contrast to DEC environmental assessments
-How ORES defines and evaluates indirect environmental impacts
-A description of oversight mechanisms used to ensure ORES decisions are consistent with NYS environmental protection goals
Full GOP letter:
CBS6 reached out to the PSC/ORES, who have not responded as of this writing. Simpson says they haven’t responded to the letter either…but one entity did.
“Since we sent that letter to Office of Renewable Energy Siting as well as the Public Service Commission, I received an unsolicited, basically a response to my request from those agencies, from a renewable energy project sponsor,” Simpson said. “It was unsolicited, and there was a couple of unprovoked defensiveness. What I really want is just transparency.”
CBS6 then learned that the company who responded is Boralex, who happens to be working on a solar project in Fort Edward. The letter, which was sent to every Assemblymember on the GOP letter on Wednesday, says while the company, or the specific project aren’t mentioned in the GOP’s letter, they believe there are references to the project in the letter, and wanted to “share a concise summary of the Fort Edward record.”
Their letter is a response to the GOP’s saying they have:
-Cultivated relationships with local government with support from officials
-There are times studies need to be redacted to protect endangered species’ location from poachers
-ORES is not superceding the DEC, and that oversight is continuous
-Disagree that renewable projects are “degrading wetlands and farmlands”
-Ready to meet and walk through their record
Full Boralex Letter (the copy provided was sent to Asm. Mary Beth Walsh:
On Thursday at 12:30 p.m. the New York State Department of Public Service is holding its Fort Edward Solar, LLC WebEx Oral Argument, with several of these stakeholders expected to join.
If you’d like to attend, click here to register.