York Run Solar

Due to the expanse of the project, there will be areas that will be visible. York Run has intentionally sited the project on areas of land that are fully or partially hidden by the naturally existing vegetation. In areas where the project will be visible from residences, a thorough viewshed assessment will be performed to determine where viewshed impacts require mitigation. Mitigation will be in the form of strategic siting and landscaping efforts to minimize view of the panels and ancillary equipment.

York Run Solar will work directly with non-participatory project neighbors to address viewshed concerns. The viewshed assessment is required under state law to receive a permit, and the results of the viewshed analysis will be shared with the state to ensure that viewshed issues are effectively addressed.

The project will adhere to all setbacks that are required under the applicable local zoning code for the district the project is located in.

Yes, solar panels are safe. The majority of modern panels, and the panels that will be used for the project, are made of polycrystalline silicon. Silicon is made from silica, which is derived from sand. The panels also undergo intense, thorough testing to assess the potential for leaching.

Solar systems pose little to no fire risk, and the fires that do occur are typically self-contained and cause harm only to the system itself, not to the surrounding land. For example, a combiner box may blow a fuse, causing an issue for the system function, but not affecting anything outside of the combiner box. However, as an additional safety measure, York Run Solar will provide solar and project specific trainings for local fire departments, and the project equipment will be regularly serviced to ensure the panels are in good working condition and do not pose a safety risk.

Solar power is one of the cheapest new sources of energy around the world. The economics of projects across the United States have worked for years, and the increased efficiencies, including the development of bifacial panels and tracker systems and the overall reduction in cost of panels and equipment, now allow for solar to be profitable above the 38th parallel, and produce clean, renewable energy for northeastern residents.

Snow does impact solar panels ability to produce electricity, however, they are still capable of power production when it snows. Additionally, the panels that will be used for this project will be on a single axis tracker system, which will move very slowly throughout the day to follow the sun, increasing the efficiency of the panels, and also clearing the snow off of the panels as they move.

The project will also use bifacial panels, which produce power from both sides of the panel. This allows the panels to produce more power year-round, but can be especially beneficial during the winter, when the sun is reflected off of the snow onto the back of the panel.

The York Run Solar project will be classified as a Major Renewable Energy Facility under Title 19 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations (NYCRR) § 900-1.2(ag) and as such will be permitted through the Office or Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) under the Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act (AREGCBA) and NYS Executive Law § 94-c. The ORES permitting process was developed through insight and input from the NY Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSDAM), the NY Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC), and the NY Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (NYOPRHP) and will identify and address concerns from these agencies as well as local municipalities. The York Run Solar projects target permit application submission date to ORES is Summer 2023.

There will be a fence surrounding the entire project that will be at least seven feet high, with a single barbed wire across the top. This fence will resemble traditional agricultural fence, with wooden post and mesh cover. The fence is in place to ensure that large animals and humans are prevented from entering the project.

Emergencies, such as small, self contained fires or impacted panels, are exceedingly rare but should they occur there will be a security system in place that will alert nearby emergency responders and local electricians on call.

Panels have a warranty of twenty-five years, but projects that were put in place in the Western United States and across Europe have seen panels last around forty years. Panels have become more durable and efficient since those projects were first operational. It is projected that the panels that will be used at the York Run Solar project will last 40 years.

Construction will last approximately eighteen months from breaking ground until the project begins producing power on the grid.

The target construction date is late 2024.

No, the project will not make a lot of noise. The majority of the noise will take place throughout the construction period. During the operational life of the project, noise will be minimal. To ensure there is limited noise impact, a noise assessment and minimization plan will be carried out for the construction and operational life of the project. The construction period is projected to last approximately 18 months.

Ratepayers in New York will receive electricity from the project. The project will connect to the grid and be sold via the local utility. It is likely that a large portion of the power that is produced will go to the Jamestown area. It is unlikely that any of the power will be used to power downstate New York.

Ratepayers in Busti and Kiantone will see a small reduction in their electric utility bill from the project. This reduction will be equivalent to $500.00 dollars per MW of energy generated within the town and split evenly between the rate payers in the towns.

Studies conducted on property values of houses located adjacent or nearby solar projects indicate that, if the area is rural, there is little to no detrimental impact.

Studies have been conducted throughout the nation, including in the northeast united states, but rural New York has not been studied directly making this information persuasive but not conclusive.

Yes, solar panels can be recycled. The industry for solar panel recycling has picked up in areas that have more constructed solar farms. York Run Solar is projecting that the market will pick up in the Northeast as the market for solar grows, and by the time the panels used for York Run Solar need to be recycled, there will be a robust industry in place.

The project will be taxed via a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement that is negotiated through the County Industrial Development Agency. The project will have an individual assessment that is then used to develop the PILOT agreement. Prior to PILOT agreement negotiations, York Run Solar will negotiate with Kiantone and Busti to enter into Host Community Agreements.

Yes, trees will be removed from the project area to maximize the efficiency of the project. The project is intentionally sited on a mix of currently forested, agricultural, and shrubland in an effort to balance the impacts of the project in light of competing interests and environmental considerations applicable to each.

Through screening measures, the project will be planting trees around the fence line or strategically to minimize potential viewshed impacts.

The project will create hundreds construction jobs and maintain several full time operations and maintenance staff throughout the life of the project. York Run Solar is partnering with local labor and workforce development entities to help us hire local people to fill these jobs and, importantly, to train them in skills that will continue to be in high demand in the rapidly growing clean energy industry.

At the end of the project life, the panels will be removed, and the land will be remediated. York Run Solar will create a decommissioning plan that will be developed with input from local jurisdictions and will be carried out at project end. This will be financially secured via a surety bond with the local jurisdiction that will run with the project, for the life of the project. Even if the project is no longer financially solvent at the time of project end, the local jurisdiction can use the surety bond to carry out the decommissioning and restoration of the land.

The project will be partially located on agricultural land. The project will be required to pay an agriculture impact fee for taking land out of agriculture use. There is an additional penalty for panels located on prime farmland. The York Run project area will overlap with less than five acres of prime farmland.

More information is available above in the Ag Section.

During the project’s operational lifetime, very little hands-on maintenance is required to allow the project to successfully operate. The electrical maintenance for the system is minimal. The bulk of the maintenance work on site is vegetation maintenance, which will be done through a combination of mechanical mowing and, potentially, sheep grazing. Any equipment that is damaged or no longer operational will be replaced.