A: The North Side Energy Center has developed a proposal to establish a large-scale solar energy facility located in St. Lawrence County, New York. North Side Energy Center would significantly contribute to New York’s efforts to meet New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s renewable energy goals.
A: The North Side Energy Center will generate 180 megawatts of solar energy.
A: The North Side Energy Center is expected to position St. Lawrence County as a leader in renewable energy and help New York meet its renewable energy goals.
A: Governor Cuomo announced that New York should produce half of its total power from renewable sources by 2030 and projects like this will help meet that need.
This new source of clean, renewable power produces no air or water pollution and is in line with the state’s Clean Energy Standard and Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative, which is fostering new opportunities for renewable power that will help New York transform its energy generation system.
A: NextEra Energy Resources, LLC is a clean energy leader and is one of the largest wholesale generators of electric power in the U.S. NextEra Energy Resources is the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun. NextEra Energy Resources, LLC is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE). NextEra Energy, Inc. is a leading clean energy company with consolidated revenues of approximately $16.2 billion and approximately 14,700 employees in 30 states and Canada as of year-end 2016
A: Permitting and approval is overseen by New York State’s Article 10 process.
A: The Power NY Act of 2011 established a process for the siting of electric generating facilities and re-powering projects. As part of the process, a multi-agency Siting Board is charged with conducting the permitting process for power plants of 25 megawatts or greater. The Power NY Act also encourages investments in clean plants and affords communities more opportunities to participate in the siting process. Learn more…
A: Wetlands in New York are regulated by the State under the Freshwater Wetlands Act (Article 24) and/or by the United States Army Corps of Engineers under Section 44 of the Clean Water Act. Generally, if permanent wetland disturbances occur to State-regulated wetlands or exceed a disturbance area threshold for Federally regulated wetlands, then wetland mitigation is required. Mitigation requirements vary but can include onsite compensatory mitigation, offsite compensatory mitigation in a nearby location and/or compensatory mitigation through an in-lieu-fee program.
A: Photovoltaic panels are constructed with non-reflective coatings and/or glass. These panels are
designed specifically to absorb as much sunlight as possible in order to maximize electrical
generation, rather than reflect sunlight. Further, the metal supports that form the racking system are typically constructed using galvanized steel or aluminum. Through design and intelligent siting, glint and glare can be eliminated or kept to a minimum.
To assess the potential for impacts to aviation facilities, a glint and glare analysis will be performed as part of the Project’s Article 10 Application.
A: NextEra welcomes the opportunity to educate the community, especially students, about the operations of our solar projects. Arrangements could be made once construction is complete and operations are underway.
A: Electricity from the North Side Energy Center project is expected to be delivered into the wholesale market that is administered by the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO).
Residential retail rates are charged by utility distribution companies pursuant to regulation by the New York Public Service Commission.
A: The Project is still in its early stages and a proposed solar array layout is not available at this time. Detailed site plans prepared by a New York State engineer will be provided in the Project’s Article 10 Application depicting the proposed location of all Project components. Also included in the Application will be a Visual Impact Assessment analyzing potential visibility as a result of the Project along with a Landscape Screening Plan depicting any proposed visual mitigation determined necessary.
A: The Project is still in its early stages and a proposed layout is not available at this time. Detailed site plans prepared by a New York State engineer will be provided in the Project’s Article 10 Application depicting the proposed location of all Project components. However, given its proximity to the existing New York Power Authority substation and transmission facilities, it is likely that the Project’s interconnection facilities will be located in this area near County Route 46 and an access point will be required off of its right-of-way.
A: Consultation with Federally Recognized Indian Nations are initiated by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP). Based on the Project Area’s geographic location, consultation will be conducted with Indian Nations as determined by OPRHP. The Tribal Historic Preservation Offices for any Indian Nation consulted with will be included on the Master Stakeholder List so that they receive notifications.
A: The land use, streams, waterbodies, wetlands and other slope of the Project Area will be studied and presented in the Article 10 Application.
A: Considering the restrictions on public gatherings ordered by the Governor to combat the COVID- 19 pandemic, it was not possible to hold open houses during May 2020 when the North Side Energy Center had intended to do so. After discussing the matter with the Department of Public Service, the project has postponed holding the open house event, and, accordingly, it will be rescheduled to a date when the applicable public health restrictions are lifted and exposure risks have sufficiently abated.
A: As part of its development process, NextEra Energy Resources conducts thorough wildlife studies to ensure each site complies with all applicable state and federal environmental regulations. Protecting wildlife and sensitive natural resources is a priority for NextEra Energy Resources. No form of energy is free from environmental impact. However, solar energy has among the lowest impacts because it emits no air or water pollution.
Included in the Application will be a Visual Impact Assessment analyzing potential visibility as a result of the Project along with a Landscape Screening Plan depicting any proposed visual mitigation determined necessary.
The Solar Energy Industries Association has reviewed research on the relationship between solar development and property value and found: “Examining property value in states across the United States demonstrates that large-scale solar arrays often have no measurable impact on the value of adjacent properties, and in some cases may even have positive effects.” Property value, however, is not a topic the Siting Board considers when reviewing Article 10 projects.
NextEra Energy Resources invites interested individuals and organizations to join the stakeholder list by:
Calling (800) 237-7104
Mailing a letter to:
North Side Energy Center (E5E)
700 Universe Boulevard
Juno Beach, FL 33408
Sending an email to info@northsideenergycenter.com with the subject line “North Side Energy Center Stakeholder List;”
Visiting: www.northsideenergycenter.com/join-the-stakeholder-list/