Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. Low 28F. Winds light and variable..
Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. Low 28F. Winds light and variable.
Updated: January 12, 2026 @ 9:15 pm
Roughly 100 people were in attendance to hear speakers in opposition to the proposed Shepherd’s Run Solar farm in Copake on Saturday.
Attendees at a community meeting Saturday in Copake against the Shepherd’s Run Solar farm proposal hold up a scroll calling for Gov. Kathy Hochul to intervene and shut down the project.
Roughly 100 people were in attendance to hear speakers in opposition to the proposed Shepherd’s Run Solar farm in Copake on Saturday.
COPAKE — Resistance to the proposed Shepard’s Run Solar farm proposed in the town is building.
The group Sensible Solar For Rural New York, which has long advocated against the construction of the solar farm, held a community meeting Saturday where speakers argued against the solar farm’s construction.
The event came after the state Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission granted Illinois-based Hecate Energy a draft permit in November to build the 215-acre, 42-megawatt solar farm.
“It even exceeded our expectations,” said Jean Halloran, who is on Sensible Solar’s leadership team. “We had about 100 people, all of whom were very passionate and listening very intently. I think they felt very motivated and very disenfranchised.”
The meeting comes ahead of public hearings on the project to be held with Hecate at Copake Town Hall on Jan. 21 and 22.
Attendees at a community meeting Saturday in Copake against the Shepherd’s Run Solar farm proposal hold up a scroll calling for Gov. Kathy Hochul to intervene and shut down the project.
State Department of Public Service Public Affairs Director James Denn highlighted the role public comments will play in the status of the project. The state Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission is under the public service department’s purview.
“Public comment is a very important element of proceedings such as this, and comments received will be carefully reviewed and considered as part of the ongoing proceeding,” Denn said Monday.
Hecate’s Senior Director of Development Matt Levine also highlighted the importance of the public comment process.
“Hecate Energy is continuing to advance the Shepherd’s Run Solar project through New York state’s established review and permitting process and we look forward to the state’s decision following a thorough and transparent review,” Levine said Monday. “Our goal is to be a responsible long-term partner to the community, and we are committed to transparent engagement with local residents and officials. Community input has meaningfully shaped the Shepherd’s Run project, which has been reduced in size and adjusted multiple times to address concerns about land use, layout, and local impacts while still meeting its energy and economic objectives.”
Copake Town Supervisor Richard Wolf, who spoke at Saturday’s event, said it was a stark reminder of the community’s feelings on the project.
“I think it demonstrates the continuing opposition that the vast majority of Copake has to Shepherd’s Run because of its size and location,” Wolf said Monday. “The opportunity to do that is to do it at these hearings that are scheduled for the 21st and 22nd.”
Due to legislation passed setting goals for renewable energy across the state, Albany has final say on whether or not the solar farm goes forward. Wolf, who is personally opposed to the project because of its size and location, said he would continue to exercise what he sees as his town’s right to home rule.
“We’re doing everything we can to prevent the state giving the project a final permit,” Wolf said. “We’ve been saying why on earth is this something where the state can simply override what the town clearly wants. It’s not like there’s any ambiguity as to where the town is coming from, and they [the state] have known it for a long time. They have until September of 2026 to make a decision as to whether they’re going to give them a permit or turn them down. Once that decision is reached, depending upon what it is, we’ll have to explore what our options are, which include possible legal action.”
Past precedent could be used to kill the project, he said.
“Gov. Hochul vetoed a bill that, I think in 2024, that would have sped up the development of a wind farm off Long Beach on Long Island on the grounds they failed to build a working relationship with the community,” Wolf said. “Hecate has certainly failed to do so here. So, we’re hoping that she’ll do the same thing that she did for upstate, the same thing that she did for downstate.”
One of the group’s chief concerns about the project is the risk of fire at the facility in light of its proximity to the Taconic Hills school, and the fact Hecate has produced no fire evacuation plan for the surrounding area. Hecate has produced a fire evacuation plan for its workers. but not the surrounding area because it contends the solar farm poses no risk to surrounding communities.
Levine explained why Hecate came to that conclusion.
“Solar facilities do not involve combustion or on-site fuel storage and do not introduce greater wildfire risk than existing agricultural land uses, Levine said. “As a result, solar is treated by insurers, fire codes, and regulators as low-risk electrical infrastructure, and Hecate Energy complies with all applicable safety codes while coordinating with local fire departments. In the unlikely event of a fire at the facility, the project has a safety response plan. Hecate also works with a fire preparedness consultant that performs training with local fire departments.”
Retired New York City Fire Battalion Chief William Murphy was one of the event’s speakers. He told the meeting it was “basically” impossible for Hecate to build a fire-safe solar farm at the current location because of its proximity to the school.
“Placing these solar panels in the backyard of Taconic Hill school is putting them at risk because of the different materials, the heavy metals in these solar panels,” Murphy said. “When a fire starts burning, the heavy metals create toxic smoke, which will reach the school and there’s no evacuation plan. The closest fire department [the Craryville Fire Company], is only 15 members total. When you have a volunteer fire company, you don’t even know how many people can respond. I mean, is one person showing up? Is it five?”
Murphy, who lives in Putnam County, said he hoped to move up to his second home in Craryville full time after he retired five years ago.
“I don’t think I want to live there [Craryville], if this project goes through, because we’re somewhat close to this location,” Murphy said. “We would probably sell. I mean, I retired five years ago, and this issue with Shepherd’s Run has been going on for nine years. We’re trying to wait and see what the outcome is going to be, and if it goes through, we’re probably leaving.”
Fires at solar farms have increased in recent years and can start from any number of sources, Murphy said.
“Hecate says there is no danger and that solar farm fires are rare. That’s not really true,” Murphy said. The more these projects are being built, the number of fires is also increasing. They can be started by anything. From lightning strikes, from hail. They can be from defective equipment. Frost heaves can shift the panels, causing a shift in the wiring and arcing. It can start from a brush fire. In fact, I believe they had a brush fire in this location last year.”
Murphy, who was a firefighter in New York City on 9/11, said he has personally seen the harmful health effects of toxic smoke.
“I was forced to retire because I do have some medical conditions from 9/11. I know people that have died from 9/11 illnesses,” Murphy said. “I’ve looked on some different websites, like the EPA website and renewable energy magazine and they’re saying exposure to toxic smoke from the panels can cause damage to the brain and kidneys, neurological and respiratory issues and cancers, even in low doses. I’m not comparing it to 9/11, but it’s the same thing. It’s toxic smoke.
“I mean, I was a New York City fireman. I took that job knowing it’s a dangerous job and you’re going to be exposed to stuff, but teachers and students shouldn’t be exposed to a dangerous situation when they’re at school and when it’s avoidable.”
Lindsay LeBrecht, a Realtor with Copake Lake Realty, also spoke at the event. She shared what she has heard from property owners about their concerns about the project.
“What (Hecate) failed to mention is that there are these things called inverters that make a lot of noise all the time, or at least at night, I’m not 100% sure,” LeBrecht said. “You’ve got this right next to a school, you’ve got this right next to people’s houses, and they’re concerned.”
That noise will also have an impact on the environment, LeBrecht said.
“I’ve been here (in Copake) for 35 years, and I’m closer to Copake Lake, but I’ve seen bald eagles return,” LeBrecht said. “I’ve seen great blue herons return. I’ve seen migratory birds. There are bald eagles that go fishing down there by the water, and peregrine falcons also, and we’re gonna lose that, again, with all of this noise.”
Hecate has followed the required environmental protection steps and worked to reduce the environmental impact of their project, Levine said.
“As part of the state’s comprehensive environmental review process, Shepherd’s Run has undergone extensive evaluation of impacts to habitat, wildlife, and land use, with mitigation measures developed alongside state agencies where relevant impacts are identified,” Levine said. “The project is proposed on land already actively managed for agriculture, and just as farming and habitat protection are not mutually exclusive, solar development and habitat protection can work hand-in-hand.”
Animal expert Nicholas Jacinto, of Nature Nick’s Animal Adventures, a Long Island-based animal entertainment company, also highlighted the environmental impact of the project.
“We cannot cut down the environment in order to save it,” Jacinto said. “Companies like Hecate purport to be green but their own report states that pairs of peregrine falcons and bald eagles were spotted in the proposed area of the project. These birds are most likely breeding. Furthermore, it’s dubious whether an environmental impact assessment was conducted by the DEC.”
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