There are no plans to offer any tax breaks for the massive solar project proposed in South Ripley.

During the recent Chautauqua County Legislature meeting, Mark Odell, a Republican legislator from Brocton and who is also a board member of the county Industrial Development Agency, said he has been assured from leadership in both organizations, that no votes on a Payment In Lieu Of Tax agreement are expected for the next eight to 12 months.

“What that does it allows our legislative body to do its diligence,” he said.

ConnectGen, which is based in Houston, is developing a large-scale solar and storage project in South Ripley along Sherman Road. The company expects to install up to 270 megawatts of solar with a 20 MW battery storage component in the area, which has the potential to power over 60,000 homes in New York state annually. The target commercial operation date is in late 2023.

The project is expected to cost around $348 million to construct and is expected to contribute over $18 million in increased revenue to local taxing jurisdictions, including the town of Ripley, Chautauqua County, the Sherman Central School District and the Ripley Central School District through its 30-year life. In addition to payments to local taxing jurisdictions, local landowners are expected to receive up to $40 million in long-term revenue in the form of solar leases, easement agreements and good neighbor agreements.

Earlier this fall, county lawmakers heard from neighbors who say the project would eliminate valuable farm land. Keith Hagenbuch with Parable Farms disagrees.

In a letter to the legislature he noted that his on farm in South Ripley they raise organic cows, pigs and turkeys. “We have been relying on the future lease payments from the solar farm to supplement the income from our farm, something we have worked diligently to keep in the family for years,” he said.

Hagenbuch is a retired physics professor and is concerned about “misinformation” being spread. “Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels will result in cleaner air, cleaner water, and improved safety. This will help reduce diseases such as asthma and cancer, as well as early deaths. The South Ripley Solar Project will be a visible symbol that shows that this community considers doing the right thing improving the lives of people. This will make our area more attractive to prospective business development executives and people considering moving to our area,” he said.

His daughter Sarah Parker, R.N., who is also an owner of Parable Farms, agrees. “At one time, there were dozens of farms in the area, but over time they have slowly been driven out of business. The South Ripley Solar Project is the lifeline we have been looking for to keep our farm up and running,” she said in a letter to the legislature. “I have done the research and am confident the project is safe and won’t affect the activities we perform on the property.”

Chris Cochran and Daniel Zandi, with Cochran & Zandi Land LLC of Sheriffield, Pa. Aksi sent a letter of support for the project. Their company owns large tracts of mixed use land and timber in South Ripley. “We support the South Ripley Solar Project because we believe it can reverse Ripley’s and South Ripley’s course and bring some life back into the community, something that most declining rural communities can only dream of,” they said.

Both Odell, as well as state Sen. George Borrello, have expressed their opposition to giving PILOT agreements to large developments like the Ripley solar project, saying they don’t offer enough benefits to the county as a whole to justify a break in taxes.