“There are several factors impacting the [Ripley Solar] project, including import tariffs, high interest rates and federal trade policies that bring uncertainty to cost of materials [that] have made this project not economically viable in its current state.”

This was a sentence in a recent letter to Ripley landowners who have signed leases with ConnectGen, the developer of the 3000 acre solar project that has been looming over the southwest corner of Chautauqua County since 2018.

There has been much opposition to the project from Ripley residents during that time but the town government has embraced the project hoping to bring in much needed revenue. Many residents may see the developer’s letter with some relief but several questions remain unanswered.

Questions:

– If the project is “not economically viable in its current state” then is it about to change? If so, Into what? Does ConnectGen intend to make good on what they claim is a $30 Million investment they say they have made in Ripley Solar?

– Is Battery Energy Storage waiting in the wings? There are numerous ‘new’ incentives now available for land with substantial large scale substation grid connections – which Ripley has. One such project has been in the works since 2018 in Ripley but reportedly withdrawn, and that is a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) installation. New York has a multi-layered BESS incentive structure, combining state-level market support (NYSERDA), federal tax credits, and local programs to aggressively promote grid-scale battery storage deployment. BESS receives 50% of project costs provided by our tax dollars through incentives. BESS has a record of fires, explosions, and serious contamination. A BESS thermal runaway fire emits hydrogen fluoride, methane, ethylene, hydrogen methane and heavy metal particulates.

– What about AI data mining? Sites adjacent to the Great Lakes are sought because of the large amount of cooling water needed. There are already around 525 data mining centers located in Great Lakes states, according to a count by Data Center Map. Investors have poured nearly $500 billion into data mining. However, the Wall Street Journal points out the “chasm between vision and reality” is evident when they report that revenue returned – not net – is about $12 billion a year. The WSJ calls data mining an unsustainable bubble.

– Industrial wind – what about the Bedrock ‘Renewables’ proposal to locate 600 foot industrial wind turbines on the escarpment in Ripley? Ripley is one of six towns (Westfield, Sherman, North Harmony, Ellery, Stockton, Ripley) that are facing state incentivized industrial wind projects stretched across the southwest county.

– Why are Ripley landowners with solar leases who also have natural gas wells being asked to “plug their wells”? We know hydro power from Niagara has been curtailed by the state. Why? Could it be the same reason for curtailing the gas flow as the hydro?

– Does the Pennsylvania town of North East have any rights when it comes to the environmentally impactful projects proposed on the 3000 acre site one mile above their drinking water reservoir?

– What were the results of the NYS Comptroller audit of the Town of Ripley? The audit was to address “issues with the town’s timely recording, depositing, and reporting of funds”, and noting the Town Board “failed to conduct required annual audits”.

It would be worthwhile having some answers. The overall question is can small Chautauqua County towns “stand united” invoking their rights to “Home Rule” in the face of the state’s increasing ability to override local zoning laws? Residents and town officials object to the state government removing their ability to make decisions about how land in their community is used, especially regarding the size, scope, and negative impacts of industrial-scale projects like Wind, Solar, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and now AI Data Mining – all of which are environmentally and economically harmful to rural areas such as Chautauqua County.

Karen Engstrom is a Mayville resident.