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IDA OKs Tax Breaks For Portland Solar Project

A proposed solar project in the town of Portland has been approved for tax breaks. There are also three new solar projects up for consideration.

During a recent meeting of the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency, board members approved a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes agreement for a 5-megawatt solar farm located at 7820 Felton Road, Portland, which is in the Westfield Academy and Central School District.

The project will be placed on 36.2 acres of land and will cost a little over $5 million to construct. It’s expected to generate 20 construction jobs and then one permanent part-time position for maintenance.

Carol Rasmussen with the county IDA said the developers would like to start construction by December, but that may get pushed back into early 2023.

The county IDA first heard of the project in April. At the September Portland Town Board meeting, board members gave its approval. The county IDA generally won’t issue PILOT agreements without the local municipality giving its approval first.

The developer of the solar project is Omni Solar, LLC. This is the company’s third solar project in the county.

There were three newly proposed solar projects as well, in the towns of Ripley, Stockton and Pomfret.

RIPLEY

Martin NY CSG, LLC is proposing a 5-megawatt solar project on 29 acres of land at 5346 Route 76, Ripley.

The project is expected to cost $8,686,350 to construct. Rosie Strandberg with the county IDA said the Ripley Town Board has approved of the project and has issued a special use permit.

Company officials would like to start construction in the spring of 2023 and finish it by that fall.

Catherine Schepp with Martin NY CSG discussed the proposed development. She said the land is flat and is naturally screened. The land had been farmed in the past, but she said the landowner has struggled finding someone to use it in recent years.

She said their special use permit includes a decommissioning plan for when the project is no longer viable.

STOCKTON

Scinta Solar, LLC is proposing a 5-megawatt solar project at 7030 South Stockton-Cassadaga Road (County Road 71), Cassadaga. It would be placed on 26 acres of land.

Adam Rowles with Saturn Power of Canada, Scinta Solar’s parent company discussed the project. He said they’ve received their special use permit and variance from the Stockton Town Board.

They would like to start construction in the fall of 2023 and have it in operation by the spring of 2024.

POMFRET

Along with the Stockton solar project, Saturn Power has proposed a 5-megawatt project on 110 acres of land at 5208 W. Main Road, Fredonia. This proposal is through Schofield Solar, LLC.

Rowles said they have received their special use permit from the Pomfret Town Board, with conditions.

They would like to start construction in the fall of 2023 and have it in operation by the spring of 2024.

Saturn Solar already has two solar projects approved in the county, both in the town of Pomfret.

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