POLAND – A new solar project is being proposed in the southern end of the county.

During the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency meeting Tuesday, board members heard about a proposal for a 2.25 megawatt solar project to be placed on 14 acres of farmland on Route 394 in the town of Poland.

The property is not far from Stone Road and is located in the Falconer School District.

Rosemarie Strandburg with the county IDA discussed the project.

She said it is expected to cost $3.6 million to construct.

Strandburg said she has spoken to Poland Supervisor Kelly Snow who said the town board is in favor of the project.

Chautauqua CSG1, LLC, the developer, is seeking a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes agreement, along with sales tax abatement.

Ty Baccile with New Energy Equity, which is the owner of the LLC said this would be their second solar project in the county. They built a small solar project in Ripley, which has since been sold.

He said they have appeared before both the Poland Planning and Town boards. As part of their Special Use Permit, they have submitted both a screening plan and the decommissioning plan. He said the decommissioning plan needs to be approved before they can get a building permit from the town. They will also have to appear before the planning board if the screening plan they proposed is not met within a year of completion.

They hope to have the project up and running by the end of 2026.

After the presentation, the IDA Board of Directors approved a Due Diligence Resolution. This allows the IDA to begin the process of exploring tax agreements, including holding a public hearing.

The board will vote on final approval for any tax agreements at a future meeting, likely in August or September.