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Lewis County IDA Approves Five Renewable Energy
Incentive Applications
Published: July 15, 2021 at
01:00 p.m.
By: Press Release from Lewis County IDA
Lewis County IDA Approves Five Renewable Energy
Incentive Applications
LEWIS COUNTY, NY
– The Lewis County Industrial Development Agency (LCIDA) Board of Directors
have approved incentives for solar and wind projects investing a
total of $236,000,000 in Lewis County. Payment in lieu of taxes
(PILOT) were approved at the May 6th and June 3rd LCIDA board
meetings.
Solitude Solar,
LLC is underway with construction of four community solar projects in the
Town of Lowville and Town of Martinsburg. These projects will
generate, in total, 13.6 megawatts of clean energy to feed into the local
power grid and allow renters, homeowners and business owners to save money
from the electricity generated by the projects. According to
NYSERDA, individuals can subscribe to a community solar project and earn
credits on their electric bill every month, accessing the benefits of solar
without installing panels at their home. Approved PILOTs will
result in annual payments starting at approximately $23,000 to Lowville
Academy and Central School, $5,000 to South Lewis Central School, $8,000 to
Town of Lowville, $6,000 to Town of Martinsburg and $27,000 to Lewis
County.
Number 3 Wind,
LLC will be the fourth approved wind farm in Lewis County. With
an expected construction start date of Spring 2022, the project will
include 22 Vestas wind turbines and 4 GE 2.3-116 wind turbines to be
located on leased land of private property located in the Towns of Lowville
and Harrisburg, NY. The project will generate 103.9 megawatts of
energy. Approved PILOTs will result in annual payments starting
at approximately $152,000 to Lowville Academy and Central School, $195,000
to Copenhagen Central School, $78,000 to Town of Lowville, $79,000 to Town
of Harrisburg, and $326,000 to Lewis County.
These projects
are in line with New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community
Protection Act, achieving its goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by
2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030. Since wind
and solar are unique land uses, the assessment structure for renewables has
lagged behind the implementation of legislation.
Therefore, PILOT agreements are necessary for developers to have reliable
long-term financial projections to build projects and for the host
community to benefit.
“I see solar
energy production as a continuation of Lewis County’s legacy as an energy
exporter,” said Cheyenne Steria, Lewis County IDA Director of Finance &
Incentives. “We all see and remember the wind farms, but Lewis
County has had hydroelectric energy production for almost 40
years. As our communities’ work to get more thoughtful on the
siting of newer technologies, we can continue to see our property taxes and
cost of living driven down. Lewis County is uniquely positioned
to use our natural resources as a revenue stream.”
The LCIDA Board
of Directors also accepted incentive applications for three additional projects; one by NY Solar One (Town of Martinsburg) and
two projects by ClearPath Energy (Town of New
Bremen). The incentives would result in approximately $15,784,000 in
project investment. The LCIDA will host public hearings on the proposed
projects in the coming weeks.
If you are
interested in learning more about renewable energy in Lewis County, the
Lewis County IDA has developed an online Smart Growth Solar resource center
for developers, landowners and the community which includes Lewis County
processes and helpful documents. The LCIDA most recently added a map of
Lewis County Solar Projects (Active, Approved, or Under Review) and a
schedule of upcoming public hearings. For more information visit naturallylewis.com/initiatives/smart-growth-solar.
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