Could a solar farm proposed for Altamont Road in New Scotland impact the view from Thacher Park two miles away?

A developer of solar arrays has pulled out, but New Scotland will “continue to look for opportunities to do something” with two landfills on Upper Flatrock Road.

“I believe we came up with a local law to support solar energy while being mindful of vistas and scenic views,” said Guilderland Supervisor Peter Barber.

A new state law governing renewable-energy projects was adopted as part of this year’s budget. 

With the state looking to take control away from municipalities for the permitting and siting of medium- to large-scale renewable energy projects, how have local towns done enacting their own solar legislation?

A solar developer who wants to build an array on a Guilderland farm asked, at Tuesday’s hearing on the town’s proposed new solar law, if Guilderland could designate a solar overlay district.

We must protect places that are seen as essential for the common good. In the past, we have urged individual municipalities to protect the Helderbergs with their zoning and planning processes. We now urge the county to take up that banner.

If the solar project were to be moved, Helios co-owner Michael Lossia would want to be sure that it would go through on the new site, he told The Enterprise. 

At a special meeting held Feb. 21, members of the Knox Town Board and Amy Pokorny discussed details of a solar farm they hope to build with grant money as the deadline by which to use that money looms. “Let’s keep moving forward,” Supervisor Vasilios Lefkaditis said at the meeting. “That’s the goal.”

A proposed solar farm on Dunnsville Road in Guilderland could soon be subject to new regulations.