The Clymer Town Board held a public hearing on a solar project during their regular July meeting. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

CLYMER — Town Board members heard an update on a local solar project before their regular July meeting.

A public hearing focused on a 5-megawatt solar project, set to be placed on land at 1548 Upper Road and which is owned by Carl Neckers. Andy Welch from RIC Energy presented on the project.

The public hearing is the next step in the process toward getting panels placed at that location.

“It’s a community solar project, meaning that energy that is in a single spot, but the pieces of it are purchased by retail customers,” Welch said. “So, instead of putting solar on your roof or elsewhere on your property, you can have access to solar energy at a discounted rate.”

The panels being put into the spot are planned to be able to pivot and follow the path of the sun.

There are a few setback issues, with the main issue being that the project does not fit the requirements of the town solar law of the amount of distance between the next residence and the road. There is over 500 feet between the area and the next residence, and around 300 feet to the road. The law requires a minimum of 300 feet from any property line, a minimum of 500 feet from any residential building and 1,000 feet from any property. The neighboring properties have been contacted in regards to the project, and Welch asked the board to consider a Section Six Waiver on account of the distances, because the land is in such a good place for a solar project.

The expected shelf life of the panels is 30 years. Discussion was held as to who pays for recycling and clean up at the end of 30 years, and who determines the time to decommission. A decommission plan is in place for the property so that at the end of the life of the project the land will return to the farmland that it currently is.

A second public hearing on the solar project is scheduled for the August meeting.