Alfred Oaks Solar, LLC Allegany County, New York
NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE AN APPLICATION
Alfred Oaks Solar, LLC (“Alfred Oaks”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Northland Power Inc., is proposing to construct a major utility- scale solar electric generating facility with a generating capacity of up to 100 megawatts-alternating current (“MW-AC”) to be located in the Town of Alfred, Allegany County, New York (the “Facility”). Please take notice that, on or about October 31, 2022, Alfred Oaks will file an Application with the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (“ORES” or the “Office”), pursuant to Section 94-c of the New York State Executive Law (the “94-c Process”), seeking a Siting Permit from the Office authorizing the construction and operation of the Facility. The 94-c Process has been implemented by regulations enacted by the Office and establishes a review process with uniform standards and conditions for all renewable energy projects. The uniform standards and conditions are available at 19 NYCRR § 900.6 and www.ores.ny.gov/regulations.
As proposed, the Facility will include the installation of linear rows of photovoltaic (PV) panels and their racking/support systems; direct current (DC) collection lines and communications cables connecting the panels to the inverters, control electronics and step-up transformers, buried alternating current (AC) medium voltage collector circuits, fencing and gates around individual PV arrays or groups of PV arrays, access roads, temporary construction laydown areas, an operations and maintenance (O&M) facility, a medium voltage- to-transmission voltage collection substation, which includes a collocated energy storage system (ESS), a point of interconnection (POI) switchyard, and a short length of overhead transmission line that will connect the Facility to the high voltage electrical grid. The Facility will interconnect to an existing 115 kV National Grid transmission line located within the project area and will deliver power directly into the NY state electric grid. More information on the proposed Facility can be found on the project’s dedicated website (https://www.northlandpower.com/en/projects-and-updates/Alfred-oaks-new-york-solar.aspx).
The Facility is a zero-emission solar energy facility that will assist the State in meeting the goals of the Climate Leadership and Protection Act and State Energy Plan, which includes obtaining 70% of energy generation from renewable sources by 2030 and significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Other positive impacts of the Facility include diversification of energy supplies, new employment opportunities (both temporary construction employment and full-time jobs), and increased revenues to an array of parties, including the Town of Alfred, Allegany County, local school districts, landowners, the hospitality industry, and small business owners who supply the goods and services for those constructing and maintaining the Facility. In addition, Alfred Oaks has attempted to minimize impacts associated with the Project, for example, by thoroughly limiting disturbance of forested lands and wetlands as far as practicable. Alfred Oaks will submit an Application that includes extensive studies evaluating the potential impacts associated with the Facility and identified methods which have been agreed to be implemented to avoid, minimize, and mitigate potential impacts. No sooner than three days before the Application is filed, an additional notice will be published announcing the anticipated filing of the Application. This notice is provided in accordance with 19 NYCRR § 900-1.3(d) and will be published at least 60 days prior to the filing of the Application.
Pursuant to 19 NYCRR § 900-5, Alfred Oaks will submit with the Application $1,000 for each MW-AC of Facility capacity, for a total of $100,000 to the Local Agency Account, which funds are to be used by local agencies and potential community intervenors seeking to participate in the Section 94-c process. Any local agency or potential community intervenor can submit a request to the Office for funding within thirty (30) days of the date of the application filing. By regulation, 75% of the local agency account funds shall be reserved for local agencies. Local agency funding requests will be made to the Office of Renewable Energy Siting, Attention: Request for Local Agency Account Funding, 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12231-0001.
Further details regarding the Project and updates on the Application will be provided at (https://www.northlandpower.com/en/projects- and-updates/alfred-oaks-new-york-solar.aspx). To learn more, visit the project website or contact the Applicant at:
Northland Power Inc.
30 St. Clair Avenue West, 12th Floor Toronto, ON M4V 3A1
416-962-6262
Project Representative:
Anne Waling, Project Developer
(518) 593-0335