In order for a property to be suitable for solar farm development it must meet numerous criteria including:

• Proximity to utility lines and adequate utility infrastructure including substations and transformers
• South to southwest orientation
• Suitability for 7 foot pilings and an absence of obstacles such as ledge
• Ideally, brownfield sites such as quarries or dairy farms to comply with New York State policies regarding development of prime farmland
• Availability of permits from local building departments
• Willingness of towns to offer PILOTs (i.e., payments in lieu of property taxes for 20-25 years)

Of these, the most important is the first, namely, the suitability of the project for interconnection with the utility grid. This can prove quite costly, with costs ranging from $100,000 to over $3 million.

Meeting all of these criteria can require as much as 3 or 4 years of work. During that time, changes in federal and state tax and local incentives can have a huge impact on the economic viability of projects. Federal tax incentives are scheduled to begin to decline in 2021 and New York State has already announced lower subsidies for future projects. Accordingly, the financial benefits of solar farm projects have already begun to diminish in some utility territories.

If you think your property qualifies and are interested, forward details of your property to solardevelopment@oldsite.solarfarmsny.com