Credit: Daisy Sindelar
More than 30 people gathered March 11 on a snowy weekend morning for the latest public hearing on a proposed solar field to be based on a 43-acre parcel of Pine Plains farmland.
The project, proposed by the solar power and storage company Carson Power, envisions the installation of 24,000 panels that would produce more than 18 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year – enough to power 1,500 homes in Pine Plains.
But residents whose property runs adjacent to the proposed Pulvers Corner parcel near Bean River Road have expressed concern the project would be an eyesore that reduces property values and threatens local wildlife.
Michael Stabile, who heads the Pine Plains Planning Board, responded to public concerns voiced at earlier meetings, outlining findings on how the project may impact quality of life and the environment, as well as safety and regulatory compliance.
He called on George Schmitt, the town engineer, who noted that recent testing had ruled out the presence of wetlands that provide habitat for threatened species like bog turtles.
Schmitt and Stabile acknowledged that construction of the project – which would require the demolition of 23 acres of forest trees – might disturb local bat populations, including the endangered Northern long-eared and Indiana bat – unless performed during their hibernation window between November and March.
Stabile also noted that public preference would be for the trees to be logged and repurposed rather than chipped, although a logging permit would be required for such a step.
The construction, which is estimated to run 10 hours a day, six days a week, over the course of several months, will create substantial noise and light pollution as well as additional traffic. Once installed, however, the field is expected to create no noise or light, and road traffic will return to its previous density. The project would not prevent individual homeowners from installing their own roof- or ground-level solar panels.
Also participating in the meeting was Frank Fish of BFJ Planning, which has been hired to review the planning board’s role in the process and to review the Pine Plains solar law passed in 2022.
Discussion of the Pulvers Corner project comes amid a push for solar power across New York state, which seeks to obtain 70 percent of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
The emphasis on solar power has been met with concerns about potential leeching of toxic chemicals into the soil where solar projects are based, and whether they can be responsibly be recycled when they reach end of life.
According to Stabile, studies show no threat of toxicity from solar panels. As part of the project, Carson Power will submit a bond of over $500,000 and has submitted a decommissioning plan that includes recycling of materials.
But several members of the public remained unconvinced, saying Carson Power had not done enough to address safety concerns. They also expressed concern about how visible the field will be from neighboring properties and what steps will be taken to soften the visual aesthetic of the solar panels.
Still others expressed worry that the carbon emissions needed to manufacture, ship, and install solar panels would offset any benefits the green-energy field might eventually deliver.
Pine Plains resident Stan Hirson said many questions remained, including about the public’s own commitment to fighting climate change. “What is our responsibility to mitigate the climate and extend the life of the planet?” he asked.
John Lyons of the Rhinebeck law firm Grant & Lyons spoke at the close of the public session to argue for a full environmental impact study, which would postpone moving forward on the project.
Lyons, who represents 10 homeowners, including several whose properties abut the proposed field, said he had submitted new comments to the Planning Board based on reviews by local experts, including Nan Stolzenburg, a community and environmental planner. In her comments, Stolzenburg suggested the project ran counter to “community character.”
While Pine Plains has pledged to protect the town’s rural culture, it has also committed to supporting sustainable energy. In 2018, the town board adopted the New York state Clean Energy Communities pledge in acknowledgment of climate change; the Comprehensive Plan updated a year later calls in part for increased use of for renewable energy.
Speaking after the meeting, Andrew Gordon, a senior project developer with Carson Power, said the Pulvers Corner site was an “amazing location” chosen specifically because it would minimize visual impact.
“The project won’t be visible from any public roads, and there are only a few private homes that may have a view of the property,” he said in a written comment to the Herald. “Each of these homes are over one mile away and will only have visibility of a fraction of the solar array.”
The Planning Board next meets March 22 at 7 p.m. at the Pine Plains Town Hall for a working-group discussion regarding the solar power project. Information on the project can be found on the Town Board website.
(Lenora Champagne contributed to this report.)
(Editor’s note: This article has been corrected to note that some, not all, of the 10 clients represented by Grant & Lyons have properties that run adjacent to the proposed solar field.)