State Approves New York’s Largest Solar Farm

500-megawatt Cider Solar Farm Takes Big Step Toward Achieving the Empire State’s Clean Energy Goals

• New York’s Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) has approved Hecate Energy’s permit for the 500-megawatt (MW) Cider Solar Farm, the largest solar energy project in New York State history.
• The permit is also the first issued by ORES for a project that’s application was initially filed with the new state office under the Section 94-c rules – all previous ORES-permitted projects were transferred from Article 10 proceedings.
• Cider Solar Farm will be capable of supplying 920,000 megawatt-hours of renewable electricity per year, enough to power over 120,000 average New York households.
• The emissions-free energy from Cider Solar Farm is expected to offset 718,694 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, which according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is equivalent to the annual emissions from 141,794 passenger vehicles.

ELBA, NY — Hecate Energy, a leading developer, owner and operator of renewable power projects and energy storage solutions in the United States, has announced state approval of its siting application for the 500-megawatt (MW) Cider Solar Farm.

The landmark ruling from the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) makes Cider Solar Farm the largest solar energy generation project ever permitted in the state. It is also the first permit issued by ORES for a project whose application was initially filed with the new state office; all previous ORES-permitted projects initially filed their permit applications under the older Article 10 siting process.

“This permit marks a major milestone, not only for Hecate Energy, but in making meaningful progress toward New York State’s ambitious climate goals,” said Harrison Luna, Hecate Energy’s project developer for the Cider Solar Farm. “We are appreciative of the support and coordination for the Cider Solar Project that we received from civic leadership of the Oakfield and Elba town governments. Hecate Energy experienced a positive, collaborative interaction with ORES during the permitting process, which was key in advancing this project.”

Cider Solar Farm is to be built on nearly 3,000 acres across the towns of Elba and Oakfield. Hecate Energy anticipates starting construction on the solar farm by 2023. Construction is expected to create positions for 495 full-time employees. When complete, the project will be interconnected to the New York State electricity grid through the Dysinger-New Rochester 345kV transmission line.

“Cider Solar Farm represents a significant $500 million private infrastructure investment in Western New York — not only will this project create hundreds of local jobs, but it will also directly fund local governments, schools, and community services like the fire department and ambulance squad,” said Luna.

The solar farm will be capable of supplying 920,000 megawatt-hours of renewable electricity per year — enough to power over 120,000 average New York households. The emissions-free energy from Cider Solar Farm is expected to offset 718,694 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, which according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is equivalent to the annual emissions from 141,794 passenger vehicles.

To learn more about Hecate Energy and the proposed Cider Solar Farm, visit the project website at www.CiderSolarFarm.com or contact Harrison Luna, project developer, at CiderSolar@HecateEnergy.com.

Article Courtesy of Hecate Energy.