The Malone Telegram announces Cipriani Energy Group’s progress in Malone, NY where the town board has voted to move forward with the review process for plans to install a solar array:
MALONE — The town board voted to continue the review process for a proposed community solar farm on Bare Hill Road.
Following a presentation by Cipriani Energy Group Corp., Colonie, the Malone Town Council on Wednesday voted to schedule a public hearing related to the State Environmental Quality Review Act, or SEQR process for the project. The hearing is set for 6 p.m. June 22.
“We will start the process and see where it leads,” Town Supervisor Andrea M. Stewart said.
The proposed project is located at 176 Bare Hill Road and involves the installation of ground-mounted tracker photovoltaic panels, estimated to cover approximately 8.6 acres of a 49.60-acre parcel, according to town meeting documents. The 2-megawatt solar development will be on a leased portion of the parcel.
The proposed owner of the project is Yellow 17 LLC, based in Colonie, according to an environmental assessment form submitted by Bergmann, an architecture, engineering and planning firm in Rochester.
According to Chris Stroud, chief operating officer of Cipriani Energy Group, the proposed project is designed to service the needs of approximately 200 homes.
“It’s a community solar project so anyone within the community who is within this utility can sign up for the project,” Stroud said.
One requested variance deals with the project’s size, which exceeds the maximum 7,000 square feet of the town’s solar law.
The project is classified as a large-scale solar energy system because it will have a surface area of more than 7,000 square feet, according to town meeting documents.
Stewart said the agencies involved with the project include the town board, and the town’s code enforcement officer, in addition to the planning and zoning boards, the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Stewart said the town would be the lead agency for the purposes of the SEQR review.
The feature was originally published by The Malone Telegram on March 13, 2022.
