GASPORT — The Hartland town board is eyeing a moratorium on development of “industrial” solar energy generation and battery storage.
On a split vote Thursday night, the board adopted a resolution to hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Jan. 29 on a proposed six-month halt to town processing of any applications for permits related to “industrial” solar development. The resolution did not define “industrial.”
Voting in favor of the public hearing were newly installed town supervisor Margaret Zaepfel and town board members Elizabeth Neadow and Sean Walp, while board members David Huntington and Joseph Reed voted against it.
Zaepfel said a moratorium would give the town board an opportunity to review and make amendments to the two laws the town board adopted last June pertaining to the siting of solar arrays and spelling out the town’s policy on battery storage.
“It’s telling everybody that we’re changing and reviewing existing laws and getting more information so that when we do have a law, it’s all the way we want it without any pressure from the outside,” Zaepfel said.
Huntington said he didn’t see a reason to declare a six-month moratorium since EDF Renewables does not plan to file its application with the state for its proposed 350-megawatt Ridge View Solar Center until 2025.
“They’re not going to be doing anything for almost another two years. (The moratorium) is a waste of time and money,” he said.
Zaepfel, who has been a vocal opponent of industrial — or utility-scale — solar energy facilities in the town, raised concerns over setbacks and battery storage systems that would come with Ridge View Solar, in the wake of a July 2023 incident in Lyme, Jefferson County, where four lithium battery storage trailers caught fire at a Convergent Energy solar installation.
“I was elected on the fact that we are going to proactively look into the solar issue and this is just one checkmark of things to tell the people that we’re serious about what we’ve told them,” Zaepfel said.
She still contends, however, the board is holding the public hearing to listen to all positions on the issue and will continue to have conversations with EDF Renewables as they move towards filing for their siting permit.
EDF Renewables’ director of development, Kevin Campbell, attended the Thursday meeting. Afterward, he told the Union-Sun & Journal, his employer “desires to work with the new town board and continue to work with the community to find common ground. Many in the community support the project, so all voices should be heard.”