Johnstown bans solar farms

JOHNSTOWN, NY - Nearly five square miles of land in Fulton County have become a new no-no zone for solar development.

Johnstown city councilors on Monday voted to prohibit commercial solar arrays as recommended by planning officials.

“There were just a lot of questions that we didn’t necessarily have the answers to and so we weren’t comfortable with them,” said City Engineer Christopher Vose.

The decision, packaged among a spate of zoning changes, comes as Mohawk Valley community officials raise concerns over the long-term impacts of solar farms popping up across the region.

A number of local governments have imposed moratoriums over development in order to buy time to craft legislation. Municipalities such as Mayfield, Ephratah and Oppenheim have already adopted solar regulations.

In Fulton County, an outright ban on solar farms is, at the very least, unusual, according to Fulton County senior planner Aaron Enfield.

Currently, the city of 8,138 residents is void of solar development.

The city has only ever received one application for a solar farm within its history — a 1.6-megawatt site proposed off Daisy Lane in 2022. The situation prompted city officials to impose a six-month solar moratorium, which was never extended.

Project plans, too, ultimately subsided. The surrounding property was purchased for $57,500 by Louie and Deborah Fagant, neither of whom plan to use the property for a solar farm, according to Vose.

Developers never lost interest in the small city, however. Johnstown Mayor Amy Praught said that she has received plenty of phone messages from solar developers looking to meet up.

 Mayfield adds six months to solar battery moratorium

“We have a lot of solar farms [in Fulton County] and we just felt that’s just not something we need right now when we need more green space and more housing,” said the Republican mayor. “That isn’t something that should trump any of those things.”

 Solar developer mulls high-wattage Perth area project

 Broadalbin officials swivel toward building more expansive solar law

 

Interest in solar development has spiked as a result of state incentives laden in the Cuomo era Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019. The legislation aims to make 70% of New York’s electric grid renewable by 2030 and lower greenhouse gas emissions by 50% of 1990 levels come 2050.

In 2020, established was the state Office of Renewable Energy Siting in hopes of turning the dial on renewable energy goals. The agency has full jurisdiction over projects that exceed 25 megawatts.

 Mayfield adds six months to solar battery moratorium

 

But for state officials, challenges remain. The state Comptroller’s Office in April released a report, showing that the siting permits on average are issued within an 1,333-day period. Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli warned that the snail pace process could stand in the way of legislative energy objectives.

Tyler A. McNeil can be reached at 518-395-3047 or tmcneil@dailygazette.net. Follow him on Facebook at Tyler A. McNeil, Daily Gazette or X @TylerAMcNeil.

https://www.dailygazette.com/leader_herald/news/johnstown-solar-farms/article_4452bac4-2d76-11ef-a478-a30b790f9629.html

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