South Ripley Solar Project
Chautauqua County, New York
NOTICE OF INTENT TO FILE AN APPLICATION
ConnectGen Chautauqua County LLC (ConnectGen) is proposing to construct the South Ripley Solar Project (the Project), a proposed 270 megawatt (MW) solar powered major electric generating facility with 20 MW of energy storage proposed to be located in the Town of Ripley, Chautauqua County, New York. This notice announces that no sooner than 60 days from the date of publication of this notice, ConnectGen will file an Application with the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES or the Office), pursuant to Section 94-c of the New York State Executive Law (94-c Process), seeking a Siting Permit from the Office authorizing the construction and operation of the Project. The 94-c Process has been implemented by rules enacted by the ORES and establishes a review process with uniform standards and conditions for all renewable energy projects. The uniform standards and conditions are available at 19 NYCRR 900.6 and www.ores.ny.gov/regulations.
The Facility will be constructed in the southern part of the Town of Ripley along NE Sherman Road. It will consist of rows of photovoltaic panels, approximately 13 feet in height and arranged in discrete subarrays dispersed throughout the Project Site, as well as associated electrical collection lines, inverters, transformers, fencing, access roads, temporary construction laydown yards, visual mitigation buffers, energy storage equipment, and an operation and maintenance building. The medium voltage collection system will aggregate the 34.5 kilovolt (kV) output from the co-located inverters and transformers and deliver it to a new collection substation located immediately adjacent to National Grid’s existing 230 kV Ripley Substation on NE Sherman Road.
The Facility is a zero-emission solar energy facility that will assist the State in meeting the goals of the Climate Leadership and Protection Act and State Energy Plan, which includes obtaining 70% of energy generation from renewable sources by 2030 and significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Other positive impacts of the Facility include diversification of energy supplies, new employment opportunities (both temporary construction employment and full-time jobs), and increased revenues to the Town of Ripley, Chautauqua County, local school districts, payments to participating landowners, the local hospitality industry, and purchase of local supplies and goods. In addition, ConnectGen has attempted to minimize impacts associated with the Project, for example, by limiting the disturbance to forested lands and wetlands to the maximum extent practicable. ConnectGen will submit an Application that includes extensive studies evaluating the potential impacts associated with the Project and identifies methods which have been agreed to be implemented to avoid, minimize, and mitigate potential impacts. No sooner than three days before the Application is filed, an additional notice will be published announcing the anticipated filing of the Application. This notice is being provided in accordance with 19 NYCRR 900-1.3(d) and is being published at least 60 days prior to the filing of the Application.
Pursuant to 19 NYCRR 900-5, ConnectGen will submit with the Application $1,000 dollars for each MW of capacity for local agencies and potential community intervenors, which for this project totals $270,000. Any local agency or potential community intervenor can submit a request to the Office for funding within thirty (30) days of the date of the application filing. 75% of the local agency account funds shall be reserved for local agencies. Intervenor requests will be made to the Office of Renewable Energy Siting, Attention: Request for Local Agency Account Funding, 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12231-0001.
Further details regarding the Project and updates on the Application will be provided on www.southripleysolar.com. To learn more visit www.southripleysolar.com or contact us at:
ConnectGen Chautauqua County LLC
Attn. Isaac Phillips
1001 McKinney Street, Suite 700
Houston, TX 77002
Phone: (800) 338-8905
Email: info@southripleysolar.com
