However, additional renewable energy sites are being identified in many communities that are difficult to develop due to constraints in grid capacity.  With the growth and success of the Climate Smart and Clean Energy Communities Programs, this locally-driven site identification is likely to continue.  Its benefits include the local “ground knowledge” that allows for focusing on sites that will not draw major public opposition.  Two examples show how issues of communication, trust and education have been coming into play in recent development of solar at  community to utility scale.

One is the Town of New Paltz’ multi-year exploration of the possibility of a community solar facility on the closed landfill in town.  The Town had proactively developed a zoning code to support rooftop solar and was considering expanding it to apply to larger installations. An ad hoc solar committee was formed, involving knowledgeable professionals in planning and environmental issues.  Its attention was drawn to the landfill as a site identified as promising by an EPA study.  The group learned that, before an estimate of interconnection costs for a solar project could be provided by the local utility – in this case, Central Hudson – a contract had to be secured with a developer.  This took several solicitations, as developers who initially showed interest fell out of communication.  When a developer was contracted, the utility provided prices for two scenarios: $1.5M and $7.2M.  Only after an extended volunteer-led planning process was the local government able to make a data-driven decision about the viability of the project, which has not been pursued.   

The difficulty of siting large-scale solar facilities is illustrated by the complex case of Shepherd’s Run, a utility-scale solar facility proposed in the rural town of Copake, in Columbia County, by the Chicago-based Hecate Energy.  A hamlet with lots of open space, Copake has the land near a viable interconnection point on the grid.  The installation was proposed at 60 megawatts, large compared to some community solar farms but small in terms of the capacity that will be needed in Upstate New York to fulfill the Climate Act’s commitments.  Concerned, the town changed its zoning to make the development harder, and then went to court to block the development by suing the Office of Renewable Energy Siting.  Supporters formed Friends of Columbia Solar, whose website proclaims, “Who are we? A fake environmental group set up by the developer? No, we are your neighbors.”  Opponents continued organizing as well.

Eventually, the factions began to talk, and the dialogue was productive.  They came to agreement on the facts of what was needed to make the project economics work – such as the size and the location near the grid. Then they set about figuring out ways to reduce the downside and make the project work.  The Columbia Land Conservancy and Scenic Hudson provided expertise and balanced perspectives at the table. The community, together, figured out ways to reduce tensions between solar and other important land uses, such as pollinator plantings on the site; they also came up with strategies for making it less visible. However, the  zoning is still restricted and some local opposition continues.  Recently, a group of residents opposed to the project were able to purchase some of the land and remove it from consideration. 

These disappointing cases show the need for proactive communication among all stakeholders in a system, and early discovery regarding project costs, benefits, potential challenges and choices.  In different ways, they suggest that a path to sufficient large-scale renewable energy development, with a minimum of stalled projects and painful conflicts, lies in finding a way to more proactive, transparent communication.  While The Joint Utilities of New York and Department of Public Service are engaging in technical planning to increase grid capacity, a consensus building process among local planners, environmental advocates and utilities on basic priorities for grid upgrades and large-scale solar installations could be beneficial, and realistic. 

Locally customized planning for renewable energy siting is important for another reason.   For long term resilience and safety in the face of climate emergencies – we don’t just need to conform to the Climate Act’s quantitative goals for renewable energy.  We need to plan ahead for distribution and location of renewable energy assets so that they are situated strategically.  The Clean Coalition, a national expert group on distributed renewable energy, recommends at least 25% distributed renewable energy in any system for resilience, interconnected within the distribution grid and not reliant on transmission from a distance. 

Case Study: Build-Ready   

The NYSERDA Build-Ready Program is designed to expedite the development of renewable energy projects on underutilized or abandoned sites across New York State. The program focuses on preparing these sites, often former industrial or commercial properties, for large-scale solar and wind energy projects. By addressing the challenges of site selection, environmental reviews, and permitting processes, the Build-Ready Program aims to make these sites viable for clean energy development. This initiative contributes to local economic revitalization by transforming previously neglected areas into productive renewable energy hubs.  NYSERDA works closely with local stakeholders to ensure that projects align with community needs and provide benefits such as job creation and economic development.  Still, there are sites that the Build-Ready Program has been unable to develop due to grid constraints.

The location of renewable energy facilities also matters in relation to their use.  Three important examples illustrate this. 

• First, the state has committed to prioritizing  renewable energy and climate investment benefits in historically disadvantaged communities. This commitment requires priority for grid modernization and problem-solving to ensure rapid deployment of renewables.  Since DACs include urban population centers and often have already-disturbed land expanses such as brownfields and commercial buildings, near term attention should be paid to making sure they are renewables-ready. 

• Second, renewable energy with storage and EV charging should also be a priority for emergency preparedness, both at health care facilities and to support first responders and other health care employees who.  need transportation to work and volunteer stations even when the electric grid is down. Since many gas stations rely on electricity to pump gas and diesel, they are unable to pump fuel when the grid is down.  Health care institutions have the opportunity to lead by developing and demonstrating solar-plus-storage solutions and vehicle-to-grid opportunities that build climate resilience for their institutions, neighborhoods and work forces.  Beverly, MA, is already using electric school buses to supply electricity to the grid in the summer when the buses are not in use.

• Third, renewable energy with storage should be a priority where there is large-scale parking and potential demand for electric vehicle charging.  Solar canopies with energy storage, at transit hubs and large commercial parking lots, can help to make sure that the growing number of electric vehicles on the road are renewably charged.  At commuter hubs, EV charging can be combined with commuter incentives such as transit passes and priority parking, a strategy that was used by NYSERDA, the NY Power Authority (NYPA) and other agencies at the dawning of EV commercialization.        

The Joint Utilities maintain a great deal of public-facing information on their combined website, including regularly updated hosting capacity maps for use by developers and communities in planning.  It is not unrealistic to think that a straightforward communication channel between utilities stakeholders (local and county planners, environmental organizations, developers) could be set up to reduce and address obstacles to local renewable energy development over the next critical two years. For example, periodic meetings for information exchange, scenarios for planning to guide expectation, would allow for more creative, nimble problem-solving.  In the fall of 2024, public comments on the Distributed System Interconnect Plan (DSIP) were opened, providing a related channel for direct inputs.

Case study: The Long Island Solar Road Map

The Long Island Road Map was developed by The Nature Conservancy with a steering committee of stakeholders that included local and county governments and the Long Island Power Authority.  It built a consensus among the parties on preferable types of sites for renewable energy on already disturbed lands such as brownfields and large parking lots, with a site review that confirmed there are more than enough sites for renewable energy to serve Long Island’s electricity needs.  Opinion research conducted as part of the project revealed that 92% of Long Islanders would support mid-to-large-scale solar developments locally. The utility in that process was municipally rather than investor-owned, which may have made that situation easier.  Still, some of the decisions before us in the Hudson Valley might be a fit for this kind of process, with benefits to all parties.  Convened by The Nature Conservancy and Defenders of Wildlife with facilitation by the Consensus Building Institute, this model could bring common principles and purpose to the development of renewable energy in the Hudson Valley. 

Significant groundwork has been laid for such a process.  New Yorkers for Clean Power has conducted multiple training programs for local planners to identify promising renewable energy sites on already disturbed lands, where there are willing owners and community support.  Building on this approach, Ulster County’s legislature has created the “70 x 30” project, requiring each municipality to identify its preferred sites for community-scale renewable energy that can contribute to the County’s 70% goal.   Stakeholders involved with creating this Road Map have begun a dialogue with Central Hudson Gas and Electric (Central Hudson), as a pilot effort that could be replicated in other utility service territories.   The stakeholders have identified renewable energy projects that are constrained by grid limitations in several Ulster County municipalities as well as the town of Hyde Park and the City of Newburgh.  They have added sites identified by NYSERDA’s “Build Ready” program, which was established to de-risk large and complex sites on already-disturbed lands by preparing them for renewable energy development.  Build Ready has also experienced challenges related to costs of interconnecting, distance to substations and the like.  Central Hudson has begun studying the constrained sites in comparison with their grid investment plans, and try to identify ways to shift investments to make it possible to upgrade the grid where there is political will for these specific renewable energy installations.  This early stage project could be a model for utilities and communities everywhere.

Ulster’s 70 x 30 draft report also identifies numerous technological upgrades, and changes in financial practices, that utilities can choose to implement without any regulatory changes, to ease management of loads and make the grid more adaptive. These include:

• reducing the interconnection cost burdens on the first developer of large renewable facilities at a given substation by allowing cost-share among multiple developers;

• Creating a revolving fund to ease the financial burdens on developers, using the fundraising powers of utilities and local governments from sources including the Department of Energy’s E-Grid Program, NYSERDA’s Clean Energy Communities Program and other funding that might be created under existing state law.

• Adoption of modern grid technologies that are in wide use, such as higher-capacity conducting wires, line and system monitoring technologies, advanced sensors and connectors and many other technologies which are detailed in the Ulster 70 x 30 draft report. 

In parallel with renewable energy development, battery storage is emerging as an important resource for stabilizing load and providing power when sun and wind are limited.  As an alternative to gas peaker plants, battery storage is a priority in the shift to distributed renewable energy. However, it is another issue requiring communities to learn and address questions such as fire safety.  Communities should make use of NYSERDA’s resources to understand the advances in safety that are taking place and take advantage of resources such as training for fire officials.

Case Study: Managing renewable supply and demand on the grid: the Connected Communities program

The Department of Energy’s Connected Communities Funding Program is designed to support the development of energy-efficient, grid-interactive buildings and communities. This initiative provides funding to projects that integrate advanced technologies, such as smart controls and distributed energy resources, to optimize energy use across entire neighborhoods or districts. The program aims to demonstrate how interconnected buildings can work together to enhance energy efficiency, reduce costs, and support grid reliability. By fostering collaboration between utilities, developers, and technology providers, the program helps create sustainable, resilient communities that contribute to the nation’s clean energy goals.  This initiative is showcasing how innovative energy solutions can be scaled to benefit communities, enhance energy resilience, and accelerate the transition to a clean energy future.  

These project examples show approaches  that could be replicated in the Hudson Valley:

• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Affordable Building Decarbonization Project:  This project involves retrofitting multifamily buildings in New York, Seattle, and San Diego to transform them into grid-interactive, energy-efficient buildings. The initiative focuses on affordable housing and aims to decarbonize buildings, enhance resilience, and lower utility bills for more than 2,000 homes across these cities.

• IBACOS Inc. – North Carolina -  is working with Duke Energy to deploy solar power, battery storage, and smart thermostats across 1,000 homes in North Carolina, optimizing their energy use and contributing 3.8 MW of flexible load to the grid. This project explores how connected distributed energy resources (DERs) can enhance grid resilience and lower energy costs for homeowners.

• Spokane Edo LLC – Washington  In Spokane, Edo LLC is retrofitting residential and commercial buildings with energy-efficient systems, aiming to deliver 1-2.25 MW of flexible load capacity through a virtual power plant. This project integrates heat pumps, water heaters, and control systems to help defer infrastructure investment while benefiting the grid.

Not just solar:  Hydro, one right

To minimize the negative impacts of renewable energy on land and water, it is important to take full advantage of every renewable energy option to maintain a wide range of choices.  Hydroelectric power is an area of potential opportunity, but only with serious attention to environmental impacts.   Large hydroelectric dams actually contribute to climate change by means of the methane emissions generated by submerged vegetation as it decays. There is a growing consensus among environmental organizations that the downsides of most dams - in terms of habitat impacts - outweigh their contributions to electric power.  This has been a difficult trade-off with regard to the long-ago approved Champlain-Hudson Power Express, which brings hydro power from large Canadian dams to our region.  However, the promise of micro- and nano-hydro has not been systematically considered in the Hudson Valley; as these technologies improve and the environmental community recognizes the climate crisis, it is timely to take a fresh look at where low-impact hydropower makes sense. Current Hydro, working with Bard College and other partners, has conducted a comprehensive survey of potential sites for low-impact hydropower nationwide, including in our region. Bard College has also done the hard work of siting, designing and preparing to build a low-impact hydro facility in Annandale, creating a model process. This work provides a timely opportunity for collaboration between environmental and clean energy interests.  A potential path forward could be dialogue between watershed and habitat protection groups and potential low-impact hydro site hosts, with support from neutral environmental organizations such as the Hudson River Environmental Society.

As methods for aligning utility grid improvement investments and local land use planning are discovered and utilized, there is genuine potential to meet the Hudson Valley’s portion of CLCPA renewable capacity goals and demonstrate the possibility statewide.

Case Study: Delivering Renewable Power and Decarbonization Assistance at Scale:  CCA 2.0  

Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) represents an evolution in local energy management. This approach allows communities to collectively purchase renewable energy, offering residents and businesses cleaner energy options at competitive rates. Mid-Hudson Energy Transition (MHET), a CCA provider in Kingston, has figured out how to enhance traditional CCA by incorporating local renewable energy projects, such as solar and wind, and integrating energy efficiency and demand response programs, to create CCA 2.0. This approach not only supports the transition to a greener energy grid but also empowers local governments to have greater control over energy sources and costs, and helps make clean energy seamlessly accessible to people who may not be aware of the option.

Case Study: Off-Shore Wind