Proposed solar farm in Fort Edward could threaten habitat for endangered grassland birds

FORT EDWARD, NY (WRGB) — It’s a clash between clean energy and conservation. A plan to build a large solar farm in Washington County is sparking debate—not over whether New York should build renewable energy, but where.

The project is set to be built on protected habitat that grassland birds, like the state-endangered short-eared owl, rely on to survive. It’s also where a company now wants to construct a massive solar farm spanning hundreds of acres. The proposal is raising questions over whether New York is willing to sacrifice conservation in the name of clean energy.

The Fort Edward Solar Project is being developed by the company Boralex. It would generate 100 megawatts of power—enough to supply thousands of homes and create more than a hundred local jobs.

It would span roughly 700 acres in the Town of Fort Edward – however– all of it would be located inside the NYSDEC Washington County Grassland Bird Conservation Center (GBCC) — land designated by the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to protect and manage the last remaining strongholds of grassland bird habitat in New York State.

At its center is the NYSDEC Washington County Grasslands Wildlife Management Area (WMA)– which serves as the anchor field for within GBCC, serving as protected refuge for at-risk grassland bird species including the endangered short-eared owl and northern harrier.

The Fort Edward Polar project would surround the WMA.

“A solar farm of this size of 500 to 700 acres, you’re going to need the roads, fencing, parking– all of that comes to more than 1800 acres. It is going to displace different endangered species that need open grassland to hunt and breed and feed. They can’t swoop below solar panels to snatch up mice and rats,” said Alex Fasulo, who owns a farm nearby in Schuylerville.

Fasulo is also an advocate who has built a large following online talking about farmland preservation and wildlife conservation.

State regulators estimate the project would have a direct adverse impact to more than 560 acres of critical habitat.

“The location of the solar farm has ecological impacts that will ripple well beyond this site,” Fasulo said. “It’s going to push threatened and endangered species even closer to extinction if a solar farm of this size is allowed to go in on such important habitat.”

A stipulation proposed to offset the loss is requiring the developer to conserve one acre of grassland for every acre impacted by the project— a mitigation plan critics say isn’t enough.

“You can’t just give the birds a map and say, ‘Hey birds, here’s your new home,’” said Fasulo. “This specific grassland is where they have chosen to breed and feed for thousands of years.”

The proposed solar farm would be built on a patchwork of privately owned farmland, much of it owned by farmers trying to make ends meet amid rising operational costs.

For many farmers across the state, the cost of maintaining their land and running their operations has become unsustainable, pushing them to consider leasing to solar.

The Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) is still reviewing the project.

A spokesperson said they do not comment on pending applications, adding that ORES makes every effort to provide a balanced approach to siting that protects the environment and wildlife while protecting the rights of property owners and developers.

CBS6 reached out to DEC for comment, but have not heard back.