Hecate Energy, top developer of solar farms, announced this Wednesday it has filed an application with the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES); to construct a 500-megawatt solar farm in the Western New York towns of Elba and Oakfield. If approved and constructed, it will the state’s largest solar farm.
Firstly, the filing represents the first new application to be submitted under the state’s new permitting process for large-scale renewable projects. The proposed solar farm is called Cider Solar Farm.
Secondly, Hecate committed a $500 million plus investment for the facility that will generate over 500 construction jobs; it will also be capable of supplying 920,000 megawatts-hours of renewable electricity per year; which will be enough to power over 120,000 average New York households.
Thirdly, the project will offset over 420,000 tons of C02 per year, the equivalent of taking over 92,000 average cars off the road annually.
Moreover, initially, the project was looking for leases for approximately 4,000 acres of land; in the towns of Elba and Oakfield in Genesee County. However, as the understanding with local authorities grew clearer, Hecate Energy redefined the project’s footprint to 2,800 acres of land across the two towns.
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Hecate Energy to provide benefits for the state
In addition, the state has had a substantial growth in renewable energy; mainly due to its Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act; which mandates to create the rules for the permitting of large-scale renewable energy projects.
Furthermore, it intends to enhance the siting and construction of projects that are environmentally responsible; also, cost-effective, and delivered in a timely manner with input from local communities.
On the other hand, Harrison Luna, Hecate project lead, said about it. “This project provides a concrete example of the scale and speed with which we must move; if we are to meet critical renewable energy goals.”
Finally, he remarked. “Cider Solar will do more than create clean renewable energy to drive the new economy; it will also deliver significant new revenue to the local governments for decades to come; and will also help fund essential services such as the volunteer fire departments; first responders, and Haxton Memorial Library in Oakfield.”
