SELKIRK — The town’s zoning board is expected to open the floor to allow the public to discuss a proposed large scale solar farm off Elm Avenue.
Cipriani Energy Group, a Colonie-based business, is proposing a solar photovoltaic farm that is expected to produce approximately 2.0 megawatts from a plot of land neighboring the Selkirk water tower, and across the road from Elm Estates.
Cipriani buys and leases properties for establishing solar farms at close distance to existing power grids. The green energy company has targeted the lot at 518 Elm Ave. to generate clean electricity that will be distributed to local residents. Under the proposal, Cipriani will enter into a lease of the land.
The Zoning Board of Appeals will host a public hearing on the topic on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 6 p.m.
The network of solar cells and supporting infrastructure will occupy one acre out of the eight-acre lot that is surrounded by both residential and agricultural properties. According to the proposal, the Selkirk lot is ideal because it abuts National Grid power lines at close proximity to a substation.
The town is in the process of amending current zoning laws under its comprehensive plan. Presently, the residential lot does not permit a solar farm. The town will be asked for a use variance to allow the farm, plus ask for an exception on a planned fence that will stand a foot taller than the allowed six-foot height.
“The Town can also take pride in knowing that by supporting Community Solar, they are also supporting the New York state mandated goals of achieving 70 percent renewable energy by 2030, and 100 percent carbon-neutral energy by 2050,” stated Bergmann representative Eric Redding in his proposal to the town.
The engineering firm dropped mention of the state’s 2019 law mandating such an aggressive shift to sustainable energy, quantifying the solar farm’s impact by estimating each subscriber would remove the equivalent of one car off the road each year.
“These aggressive sustainability targets, signed into law in 2019, will make our environment cleaner, safer, healthier, and will preserve our planet and our way of life for future generations,” stated Redding.
Subscribers to the proposed network would only be charged by their individual use.