Somerset, N.Y. (WBEN) - On the surface, some may wonder why a tiny, rural town would oppose a proposed $277 million private sector-backed project that would help add new dollars to its tax base.
But, in the case of Somerset, that is exactly the case.
At issue is a proposed 125mw solar farm - planned for 1,200 acres of land that was once part of the Kintigh Power Plant complex on Lake Road (Route 18).
Developer AES Corp. will be investing nearly $277 million in the project - making it one of the largest private sector investments in Somerset's history.
The project would create 98 construction jobs and, even with a tax break package approved March 18 by the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency, Somerset would see during the next 20 years the land generate more than $6.5 million in new property tax dollars as opposed to $1.47 million if the property remains undeveloped farm land.
Those are all the pluses.
But, environmental concerns and the loss of farm land has Somerset town officials, residents and, even the Niagara County IDA directors raising concerns about the project.
"It seems like to save the environment, you are actually hurting the environment," said Betty Wolanyk, who lives just across Lake Road from the project site.
The wrath generated by the Somerset Solar project is a snapshot of how communities are wrestling with New York's push to be more environmentally friendly and less reliant on traditional fossil fuel sources.
"We are going to regret losing that much farm land," Wolanyk said.
The reality is, according to Mark Gabriele, NCIDA counsel and Andrea Klyczek, agency executive director, under New York state Executive Order 94-C, the Office of Renewable Energy Siting can supercede any local laws and push the project through.
The supeceding authority is a byproduct of the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) that was created by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo with goals of reducing, statewide, greenhouse gas emissions 70% by 2030 and 100% by 2040.
"New York has taken away all the local jurisdiction," Gabriele said.
Even Gov. Kathy Hochul, in Buffalo on March 16, said New York "needs a longer runway" in dealing with CLCPA mandates.
Both Klyczek and Gabriele said the only reason why the IDA directors, reluctantly, approved the tax breaks was to guarantee some level of cost certainty for Somerset.
Without the iron clad incentive package, Somerset would have been dealing with varying levels of property tax dollars related to the project.
"We are just trying to stabilize their (Somerset's) tax certainty for the next 20 years," Gabriele said.
As for the project, Klyczek said she felt she had no choice or options because of 94-C but to advance the solar farm development.
"The project was going to happen, no matter what," Klyczek said.
The solar farm will generate enough green energy to fuel 25,000 homes.
Construction is slated to start this summer, and, will be completed in phases during the next few years.