August 18-24, 2016

Page 1

Your Award-Winning News Source for the Upper Delaware River Valley Region Since 1975

Vol. 42 No. 33

Q

AUGUST 18-24, 2016

Q

www.riverreporter.com

Q

$1.50

Town improvements see the light of day By ISABEL BRAVERMAN

N

ARROWSBURG, NY — At the recent Town of Tusten board meeting, it was announced that various long-awaited projects had been completed. One is the town solar panels and another is the basketball court in the park on the Flats. The chair of the energy committee, Brandi Merolla, said the solar panels that will power the town’s electricity (with the exception of the street lights) are currently being installed and will be finished by the end of this week. She said the crew is working really hard and the project is creating jobs. “I’m really proud,” Merolla said. “This is the first town in Sullivan County to have a solar array.” She also reported that she has looked into an option to go with MEGA (Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance) for energy, as per the request of Councilman Ned Lang. However, she said she was not entirely happy with their energy sources, which are nuclear or natural gas. She said, “We’re taking the next step to see what they can do for us.” It was also brought up that Lang sent emails to the board accusing Merolla of lying about the savings the town will see from the new solar Continued on page 3

Contributed photo

The town solar array is being installed in Narrowsburg, NY.

Liberty ponders solar moratorium By FRITZ MAYER

L

IBERTY, NY — A public hearing regarding a moratorium on large solar projects in the Town of Liberty was held on August 15. First to speak was Richard Chun, a representative of Delaware River Solar (DRS), who said the company is interested in pursuing two or possibly three solar installations in the town. He said a moratorium would shut down discussions between solar companies and elected officials about particular projects and prevent officials from learning more about specific projects. He also said a moratorium is not necessary because the town board and the planning board already have the

authority to say “no” to any project. One issue that concerns officials in relation to solar projects is taxation. Towns may, if they choose, grant solar projects tax incentives, but then may enter into payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreements. Another concern is having a decommissioning agreement in place for when the solar project reaches the end of its life. (The actual timing is still not certain, because solar projects rated for a 20-year life are still running nearly as efficiently 30 years later.) Chun said the town or planning board have the option of approving a project, with the provision that PILOT and decommissioning agreements are reached that are agreeable to both parties before the actual construction of a project

begins. Members of the board expressed concern that, because of limited grid capacity, DRS projects could block, for instance, a local farmer with 100 acres from setting up his own solar installation. At a meeting in Monticello on August 3, NYSEG representative Ray Kinney said grid space is allotted to solar projects that start the application process on a first-come, first-served basis, and that NYSEG ensures enough space is set aside for homeowners to be able to install smaller systems in their own homes. But other small projects may be shut out, at least temporarily, as has occured for one business in the Town of Bethel. Dentist and property owner Jon Sutherland also spoke against the

moratorium in Liberty. He is working on a project with DRS in which panels would be installed on property he owns, which he said is secluded and no one would see. But the town board clearly still has reservations. Supervisor Charlie Barbuti said that since the solar rush began in Sullivan County about a year ago, “we have had nothing but questions, and we don’t have answers.” He also expressed frustration with dealing with officials in Albany. He said, “There’s a real problem with the State of New York, because they seem to be so pro to have this happen that anybody who questions them is somehow some sort of a weirdo.” The board did not vote on whether to adopt a moratorium.

SPANNING 2 STATES, 4 COUNTIES, AND A RIVER THAT UNITES US

You’ve got meal A meal delivery service in our own backyard

14

WCAA Artists’ Studio Tour

19


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
August 18-24, 2016 by Stuart Communications - Issuu