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by Briana Supardi
FORT EDWARD, NY (WRGB) — It’s a clash between clean energy and conservation. A plan to build a large solar farm in Washington County is sparking debate—not over whether New York should build renewable energy, but where.
The project is set to be built on an area for grassland bird management called the Washington County Grassland Bird Conservation Center (GBCC), though the proposed location would be built on a patchwork of privately owned farmland, much of it owned by farmers trying to make ends meet amid rising operational costs.
At GBCC center is the NYSDEC Washington County Grasslands Wildlife Management Area (WMA)– which serves as the anchor field for within GBCC, serving as protected refuge for at-risk grassland bird species including the endangered short-eared owl. It was created in 2011 using state funding and Federal Wildlife Restoration Aid.
According to the DEC, these efforts specifically protect wintering habitat for the endangered short-eared owl, which uses the property and adjacent landscape annually between November and March to roost and forage.
The Fort Edward Solar Project is being developed by the company Boralex. It would generate 100 megawatts of power—enough to supply thousands of homes and create more than a hundred local jobs.
It would span roughly 500 acres in the Town of Fort Edward.
However, critics are concerns about its proximity to the WMA. Though it's being proposed on private land, the project would surround the protected area.
Alex Fasulo owns a farm in Schuylerville, and an advocate who has built a large following online talking about farmland preservation and wildlife conservation.
State regulators estimate the project would have a direct adverse impact to more than 500 acres of habitat.
A stipulation proposed to offset the loss is requiring the developer to conserve one acre of grassland for every acre impacted by the project— a mitigation plan critics say isn’t enough.
“You can't just give the birds a map and say, ‘Hey birds, here's your new home,’” said Fasulo. “This specific grassland is where they have chosen to breed and feed for thousands of years.”
For many farmers across the state, the cost of maintaining their land and running their operations has become unsustainable, pushing them to consider leasing to solar.
The Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) is still reviewing the project.
A spokesperson said they do not comment on pending applications, adding that ORES makes every effort to provide a balanced approach to siting that protects the environment and wildlife while protecting the rights of property owners and developers.
In 2020, the New York State legislature passed the Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act, which created the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) to streamline the review, approval, and siting of large-scale renewable energy generation projects equal to or larger than 25 megawatts (MW).
The NYSDEC states the department thoroughly reviews proposed projects subject to, and to ensure compliance with, the Environmental Conservation Law (ECL), including potential impacts to protected specie and natural resources.
The department did not comment whether they're concerned about the project surrounding WMA property.
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