“Approximately 154 acres of forest needs to be felled to install this 94MW solar complex”
By Alexandra Fasulo, American Land Rescue Fund Inc., pictured is a solar construction site in Burns NY
It’s time to face the reality of how many trees are being felled for commercial solar complexes statewide, especially as the government of this state will try to trick you into believing they care about environment this week.
In honor of Earth Day tomorrow and Arbor Week, let’s look at the math, all of which is cross-checkable on the Department of Public Service platform (I will include the link below).
We’re going to look at Moraine Solar in Allegany County, which began its tree felling/land clearing operations on February 23, 2026.
I am attaching the facility map below. Approximately 154 acres of forest needs to be felled to install this 94MW solar complex.
In a light forest, there are roughly 140 trees per 100 x 100 foot space. In a heavy forest, there are roughly 200 trees per 100 x 100 foot space (a forester submitted this data to me). That comes to 609 trees/acre in a light forest, and 870 trees/acre in a heavy forest.
That means, for Moraine Solar alone, between 93,786 and 133,980 trees are being cleared, as we speak. Forests, the living, breathing air filters built into our planet that fix the climate and clean our air, are being destroyed for a form of power generation that converts at only 15% of its annual potential.
Governor Kathy Hochul will try to tell you, through her “25 Million Trees by 2033 Initiative,” they have planted 100,000 trees in New York’s Southern Tier (which includes 8 counties) to date.
A little digging will show you they’ve only planted 1,300 trees in Allegany County. 1,300 trees planted for at LEAST 93,786 trees LOST for just ONE Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) solar complex.
Can you imagine the scale of trees lost statewide for commercial solar and wind projects?
Where are the environmentalists? Where are the tree huggers? Where are the people who claim to love forests?
Commercial solar and wind is destroying grassland and forest habitat at a pace we’ve never witnessed in New York State. They’ll plaster Hochul’s “tree” propaganda campaign all over the internet tomorrow. Don’t fall for it.
Link to the ORES docket for Moraine Solar here. Feel free to see for yourself!
Alexandra Fasulo is the President of the American Land Rescue Fund Inc and a advocate for responsible renewable energy policy. Follow her on Facebook
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