To the Editor:

The Schoharie Town Board received a request for a solar farm project at its June 12 meeting. The developer, Borrego Solar, presented maps and photos of the proposed 7-megawatt farm to be sited on our land — well off State Route 30 — and screened from the highway and adjoining property owners.

It is a community solar project sized to supply locally-produced solar-generated power for up to 2,000 typical residences. 

Residents in Middleburgh, Cobleskill, Esperance, Gallupville, Berne, Duanesburg and others throughout the National Grid distribution district can purchase their electricity from this project, at a discount.

It will allow those who live in apartments, mobile homes, and other residences who don’t have the option or  means to install their own roof-top or on-premises solar panels to purchase solar-generated power. This project is for those who want a more environmentally-friendly power source. 

It will signal that Schoharie County residents care about the environment and are actually doing something about it.

Likewise, businesses need to be supportive of renewable energy and to actively work to decrease their own carbon footprint giving them a competitive advantage — particularly tourist and hospitality enterprises. Businesses that want to thrive need to be supportive of environmental stewardship and sustainability.

This project’s location was chosen to preserve the valley viewshed; the visual impact is minimized on adjoining properties through topography and tree screening.

It has an environmentally friendly design that is supportive of wildlife corridors, promotes pollinators and bee habitat; it is the right size, in the right place and at the right time.

Len and Meg Berdan

Schoharie

Editor’s note: Len and Meg Berdan own the land where Borrego Solar wants to build its array.