Ripley Town Supervisor Doug Bowen says the developers behind the 270 megawatt solar project are hoping to begin construction next year.

Bowen, who is also the chairman of the Chautauqua County Planning Board, gave an update on the project this week.

Bowen noted that the state declined Ripley’s request to ban battery storage at the site. “If all municipalities did not allow Tier 2 and Tier 3 size energy storage components, the state would not be able to meet their renewable energy goals that they have set,” he said.

The Ripley Town Board discussed the topic at its last meeting as well.

Bowen said there are some zoning issues that still need to be settled, including the woodland mitigation plan.

The developer has other paperwork as well. “There are still some documents that the developer has to submit,” Bowen said, but those aren’t expected until the developer knows the specifics on what batteries will be installed and what type of solar panels they will purchase.

While Ripley has voted in favor of the solar project, officials weren’t keen on the battery storage component. Volunteer firefighters and residents have expressed concerns over safety of a project of that magnitude.

Bowen said personally he thought the project could move ahead without the 20 megawatt battery storage. The town zoning only permits residential battery storage, commonly known as Tier 1. The larger tiers are for industrial size battery storage.

The developer of the project, ConnectGen, has worked since late 2018 on this project. Bowen said they’re hoping to start construction in early 2023, but that’s not definite. “They’ve got to wait until the state gives the final permit to go forward,” he said.