FAQs

Many of EDF Renewables’ upstate NY employees grew up in farming communities and have worked closely with the farming communities in which we are siting projects, developing an understanding through conversation and listening over time. We have contracts with agricultural consultants that attended Cornell University and have extensive experience within the dairy industry. These individuals have personally managed large-scale cow, sheep, and goat dairies in New York, and who currently manage a mixed-power, organic, horse, sheep, hay and small grain farm.

We are always looking for partnerships with the local agricultural community for opportunities to incorporate grazing or row cropping under panels. We would give preference to landowners themselves to graze the property. Then, we would extend this reach to community members and further to the state. There is currently a variety of local grazing occurring including Aberdeen cattle, dairy cattle, stag deer and sheep and EDF Renewables has been working with local farmers as well as the Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell University on creating locally integrated solutions.

EDF Renewables has been working with local farmers, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Herkimer County and Cornell University to seek real-time, locally integrated solutions for agrivoltaics at the Columbia Solar project. We have successfully been sheep grazing at our Arnprior Solar site in Canada for seven years and have invested into an economic study for sheep grazing and bee foraging in the town of Mount Morris and the study can be found here: https://edfr.info/agricultural_plans

EDF Renewables continues to seek partnerships into forging new solutions for agrivoltaics at the Columbia Solar site.

This is based on combinations of tax payments, special district payments and host community agreements. Approximately $30 million in direct payments to the Towns of Columbia, Winfield and Litchfield, Herkimer County and local school districts in the first 20 years of operation will be proposed through a combination of a payment in lieu of taxes and property tax payments.

When selling energy on the open market, EDF Renewables' first step for grid-scale solar is typically to win a contract from NYSERDA’s Tier 1 renewable energy solicitations. NYSERDA’s goal of these renewable energy solicitations is to help NYS achieve their renewable energy siting goals of 70% by 2030. After winning a contract, EDF Renewables sells the renewable energy credits to NYSERDA and also sells electricity on the open market through New York Independent System Operator.

The amount is to be split between the towns, county and school districts. The split is prorated by MW in each jurisdiction and the tax rate is yet to be decided as part of the payment in lieu of taxes. This will be negotiated with the Herkimer County Industrial Development.

While landowners leasing to EDF Renewables get direct financial returns, the community-at-large wins just as much. EDF Renewables’ solar projects contribute to the community in a number of ways: through new revenues that will reduce the property taxes paid by residents; a host community benefit program, and funding of community groups, initiatives, and scholarships. State permitting guidelines mandate mitigation payments for impacts to certain sensitive areas such as wetlands, however EDF Renewables works with landowners, communities and design teams to create projects that minimize impacts to the surrounding areas.

Part N of the NYS budget does not change our proposed financial contributions to Towns, County, and Schools through a combination of PILOT and Host Community Agreement. This proposed amount is estimated to be $30 million dollars over 20 years

EDF Renewables does provide an annual $2,000 scholarship for 10 years to a graduating student from the Mount Markham school district interested in renewable energy or the trades. In 2022, EDF Renewables donated to the cost of new wrestling uniforms for the Mount Markham schools. The school district will also receive revenue through the negotiated PILOT. We would be open to finding way, to partner such as possible backpack programs for students or other ways to help with food security for children in the community.

EDF Renewables believes community engagement is critical to creating trusting and long-lasting relationships. As the project progresses, we will continue to share information via community meetings, newspaper notification, newsletters, podcast updates, and community-related initiatives. There are several articles and resources on the Columbia Solar Project website that date from 2019 to the present. Please reach out to the EDF Renewables team if you have questions at any time.

EDF Renewables has been engaging with the community and the town board since 2019, by holding public meetings, notices in the newspaper, and letters to landowners. We apologize if people weren’t made aware of our project, please continue to reach out if you have any questions on the project.

EDF Renewables is committed to a thorough engagement process. Project development often takes several years, during which EDF Renewables communicates regularly with host communities and its residents. We have been in communication with individuals from the Town of Columbia since 2019.

EDF Renewables is aware of the town survey in which 50% of the residents responded to. We continue to seek conversations on how to integrate the project into the local community for all residents.

Construction is anticipated to take two years, and at its peak, require more than three hundred workers. It is anticipated that a significant component of the labor force will be sourced from Herkimer County and neighboring areas.

This project is being designed in accordance with the Columbia Comprehensive Plan as well as the Litchfield Comprehensive Plan. We are aligning our goals with those of the community such as preserving and extending the enjoyment of peace, tranquility, and recreational resources for residents on their land, preserving and enhancing the physical and scenic environment, and promoting the preservation of agricultural land for agricultural use.

EDF Renewables will have a local team of full-time operations personnel to monitor and maintain the system to the highest of standards. During operations, EDF Renewables hires its own employees with 4-5 full-time positions anticipated. Through the integration of agrivoltaics sheep, as both browsers and grazers, keep vegetation growth below the panels under control. This can act as a substitute for more costly control methods such as herbicides or mechanical weed removal, reducing maintenance costs. We also incorporate visual buffering into our design in which we consider the optimization of planting and maintenance efforts.

Our project components, like the solar panels, inverters and transformers are surrounded by fences in accordance with electrical codes and Section 94c. The minimum height required to meet the National Electric Code requirements is 7 feet tall. The specific style of fencing has not been determined at this time. We look forward to communicating with the local community about the fencing style to be used as the project progresses.

EDF Renewables continues to explore recycling options and is a member of the Solar Energy Industries Associations (SEIA), which established a national program to connect businesses to US-based recyclers of solar panels. The cost of decommissioning the project is assessed every five years and updated accordingly in the letter of credit that is posted for the project. EDF Renewables is obligated to provide a decommissioning security prior to the start of operation in favor of the host town that provides the town with the necessary funds to decommission the facility, this fund would include the costs to recycle any materials. EDF Renewables will seek ways to reuse, refurbish, or recycle panels whenever possible in advance of disposal.

Decommissioning is the process of removing equipment (solar panels, inverters, transformers) and improvements (roads and fences) and returning the land to its prior use when a solar facility is at the end of its life. Per Section 94c guidelines, EDF Renewables is required to post a letter of credit for decommissioning costs and this cost is assessed/ updated every five years. Solar panels will be recycled whenever possible, or disposed of in accordance with all governmental, environmental, and legal requirements. Topsoil will be returned to the site in accordance with NYS Agriculture and Markets Guidelines. At the end of the project’s life, we can reasonably expect the soil to be in better condition than that on the onset, through planting of native species, improved net stormwater filtration and retention, and having rested for at least 30 years.

EDF Renewables is obligated to provide a decommissioning security prior to the start of operation in favor of the host town that provides the town with the necessary funds to decommission the facility in the event that the project owner is not able to. The project cannot receive permission to operate without this commitment to cover decommissioning costs. As part of the Section 94c permitting process, an independent professional engineer will estimate the total decommissioning cost and potential for salvage value. Upon review and approval by the State and Towns, this will serve as the cost basis for the decommissioning security, which will be reviewed and updated every five years.

Solar panels are estimated to have a lifespan between 35-40 years.

Solar panels are not deemed a hazardous material and thus do not need a haul route in place for disposal of panels. While the decommissioning plan does not identify a haul route, it would be likely that the same routes utilized during construction would be used upon decommissioning. EDF Renewables will seek ways to reuse, refurbish, or recycle panels whenever possible in advance of disposal.

EDF Renewables uses crystalline silicon solar panels which do not contain heavy metals. The crystalline silicon panels can be reused and recycled. This includes metal, glass, and wiring components, as well as the silicon cells. Most solar panels are classified as non-toxic waste and are accepted at ordinary landfills. Since the panels are classified as non-toxic waste, the towns should not be directly affected through their disposal.

Our oldest large utility-scale solar facility is over 10 years old as it was put into operation in 2009. This site is still operational and owned by EDF Renewables. The initial solar panels that were installed during the construction of this project are still in use today. With the advancements in technology, the lifespan of these facilities has increased to 35-40 years.

Yes, EDF Renewables has subsidiaries called PowerFlex and Distribution- scale Power that work with other technologies including community- scale solar, EV charging and integrated grid solutions.

Just like the rest of the products that our farms produce and send off to market, solar energy is produced locally, kept as needed, and the rest is distributed throughout the state where the demand is higher. The number of households provided energy is come up with by dividing the approximate household energy use for the area by the MW the project will produce.

Currently there are two potential sites proposed for interconnection and the final design is still being studied and finalized. The proposed interconnection site will interconnect to the Edic-Fraser line, which is one of the two lines contained in “Marcy South”.

Each battery energy storage unit is required to undergo large-scale fire testing to demonstrate that a failure in the system will be contained to that system. In many cases, this is done passively without the use of suppression. Whether or not suppression is used is then driven by code requirements, and in many cases remote installations, as proposed here, are not required to have internal suppression based on results of the large-scale testing. Further, like many complex systems in the industrial and utility environment, direct suppression of the fire is not always advisable or possible, and in those cases the fire department, based on EDF Renewables provided training and along with EDF Renewables subject matter experts, may take alternative approaches to managing the event such as defensive suppression to other exposures or managing smoke production from the system. In addition, each module and unit have independent failure detection systems and shut-off mechanisms. The site will be monitored 24/7 from our remote monitoring center located in the US. We will work with local fire departments to create emergency management plans and ensure they are trained to industry best practices for managing such events.

The power generated will be distributed amongst markets that need it most, beginning with local centers, moving to other upstate areas and finally, some power will be delivered down-state as well.

The facility has the potential to power 80,000 homes throughout its operation. The panels last 35-40 years and are still economical with a small annual degradation of the panels. Renewable energy has proven to be a successful business model which is why multiple projects are being developed in New York State, and across the United States. With the costs of solar declining over the past decade, solar is cost competitive with other energy sources in NYS as we can produce power year-round.

The Project is expected to generate approximately 650,000 MWh in year one which is equivalent to approximately 80,000 typical NY homes.

It is a common misconception that solar only works well in climates where there is abundant sunshine. Solar panels do not require perfectly sunny weather to generate electricity, and modern solar resource datasets allow developers to accurately estimate the amount of sunshine at a given location. Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology continues to become more efficient, enabling solar projects to generate in the absence of strong, direct sunlight, and increasing the viability of project locations throughout New York. Additionally, the cooler temperatures in New York actually make panels more efficient. Combined with the strong demand for renewable energy throughout New York, availability of suitable land, and supportive policies, solar makes sense in most areas of New York State. (Bobby Magill Follow “Rooftops in Cloudy Places Could Be Solar Gold Mines.” Climate Central, 15 Apr. 2016, https://edfr.info/rooftop)

The life of the project is anticipated to be 35-40 years. After that time, the land will be returned to its original state, as per the decommissioning agreement.

We believe you are referring to the net capacity factor of power generation sources. For solar it is about 25%, and when combined with other renewables and battery energy storage, provides opportunity for improved grid reliability. https:// edfr.info/capacity

Solar energy will be a viable resource well beyond 2027 because of strong demand from New York State, which has ambitious renewable energy targets, such as 70% of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030. Additionally, solar energy technology costs have been declining for a decade, and further research and development is expected to reduce costs in the future.

Columbia Solar and Storage will undergo a thorough environmental review process that will include a variety of ecological studies, archaeological studies, and input from the local community and agencies like the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Department of Environmental Conservation, to assure that impacts on vegetation and wildlife are avoided or minimized. These studies mostly focus on rare or endangered species. The project parcels are non- contiguous, so regular migration paths are expected to maintain.

EDF Renewables will implement a site- specific Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan and a Vegetation Management Plan to protect streams and wetlands during construction, adhering to New York and Federal regulations to achieve a net improvement in stormwater management compared to pre- construction conditions, as per Section 94c guidelines. Once the Section 94c application is submitted, it will be made publicly available and in-person at local libraries.

Vegetation around the panels is maintained through mechanical mowing, manual cutting and trimming, limited herbicide treatments, or sheep grazing. Pesticides or herbicides are used around substations and inverters for safety purposes and to control the distribution and density of existing invasive species within the facility. Any treatments would be applied by a Certified Commercial Pesticide Applicator, Commercial Pesticide Technician, or a Private Pesticide Applicator as required by 6 NYCRR Part 325 and in accordance with the Facility Maintenance and Management Plan preventative maintenance schedule.

Pesticide and herbicide use is limited to the extent needed to control invasive species or meet the requirements to manage vegetation, and will be applied according to NYS ORES approval, manufacturer’s usage instructions according to the NYSDEC certified applicator program. Through the state permitting process, projects are mandated to manage stormwater to prevent off-site runoff. Solar arrays have been found to improve water bodies nearby through increase stormwater retention. This is being studied further by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s PV Smart program: https://edfr.info/smart_program

The results from our environmental impact studies will be shared through our website or in-person at local libraries. The application at this time has not been submitted but will be updated on our website when it has.

When referring to mostly cleared land, EDF Renewables does our best to work alongside landowners to site land for the projects that is mutually beneficial. In some cases, a farmer may lease unproductive or unused parcels to stabilize their farming operation.

EDF Renewables is required to submit a Section 94c application to the Office of Renewable Energy Siting that includes a site-specific Visual Impact Assessment (VIA). Typically, our visual buffers are comprised of various plantings of trees and bushes that will, with time, grow to visually buffer the project from neighboring roads and homes. The buffering is normally more significant immediately next to a home, with plantings of ~4-6’ high trees, while less sensitive areas will receive ~2-4’ high trees and planting. We welcome conversations with project neighbors to discuss visual buffering plans. Please reach out to our team, Josh.Bennett@edf- re.com.

Visual buffers are typically created by planting vegetation along roadsides and adjacent to neighboring homes near the project help soften the visual impact of the facility and maintain the rural character of the area. By integrating agrivoltaics, many farming practices may still occur within the solar arrays and through the additional revenues gained by the towns, counties, and school districts, local improvements could be made to many important community resources.

EDF Renewables does extensive environmental studies in accordance with Section 94c guidelines. Habitats of certain required species will be evaluated within the application according to the state regulations. The results from these studies will be shared through our website or in- person at local libraries. The application has not been submitted at this time, but it will be updated on our website when it has.

We value all feedback that is received from the public and the community. We attempt to integrate feedback received where feasible in the project design. On past projects, we were able to make changes to project design, setbacks and buffers based on feedback from neighbors and the community.

EDF Renewables will develop and implement a Vegetation Management Plan to ensure that the site remains well vegetated throughout the year in accordance with existing New York State and Federal regulations. The planted species will all be approved in accordance with ORES and Department of Environmental Conservation guidelines, including planting native, non-invasive species. During operation, inspections will be conducted to ensure desirable native and non-invasive species are maintained at densities appropriate to the site and sufficient to maintain site stability, maintain adequate infiltration rates, suppress invasive species, and meet the Facility’s agricultural co-utilization objectives, as applicable.

The results from our environmental impact studies will be shared through our website or in-person at local libraries. The application at this time has not been submitted but will be updated on our website.

A series of environmental studies will be conducted including ecological studies and input from the local community and agencies like the Department of Environmental Conservation. State guidelines requires the reviewing party to sign an agreement preventing public disclosure but allows for individuals to obtain and review the results.

Our Invasive Species Control and Management Plan and Vegetation Management plan are incorporated as per Section 94c guidelines. Per these plans, invasive species will be monitored and controlled. There will be an invasive species survey pre-construction and post-construction to determine if the goal of no significant net increase of invasive species is being achieved. Appropriate measures will be taken if necessary.

Construction cannot begin until a 94c permit is obtained. A 94c permit cannot be obtained until all environmental surveys are completed and found in accordance with state guidelines.

Frequently asked questions and answers will be available on the Columbia Solar Project website.

EDF Renewables is not currently asking landowners to cut down trees on their properties. Depending on the land participating in the project there might be some infrastructure sited within areas that are currently wooded, that would require limited tree and brush clearing. This will not occur until the pre-construction phase of the project, which occurs after a section 94c permit has been submitted and deemed approved. Local bids may go out through our EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) contract, which has not been selected at this time.

A PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) is to be negotiated with the Herkimer County Industrial Development Agency. This county-level governmental body is responsible for negotiating PILOTs in Herkimer County. Negotiations have not taken place at this time; however, we have communicated the project to the Herkimer County Industrial Development Agency.

EDF Renewables does not have eminent domain power, and we are actively negotiating agreements with multiple parties. Non-contiguous parcels are connected through collector lines, which can be located underground, ideally, and when necessary, overhead. All collector lines located underground are four feet below the ground so farming and equipment may safely occur over the lines.

During operations, EDF Renewables hires its own employees (4-5 full time positions anticipated), often local to the projects. These employees are to take care of the solar facilities and equipment and will have 24/7 access as necessary. During snow events, the facility would be accessed for snow removal and in the warmer months for vegetative management. If agrivoltaics occurred on the site, the site would be visited more frequently to tend to the herds or crops. Any of the events would be discussed and agreed upon with the landowner leasing the property in advance.

No, snow is not removed because the snow melts in time due to the panels warming up when it’s sunny. This project will be built using single axis tracking systems. The single axis tilt tracks the sun as it moves from east to west, which as the panels move and sun melts the snow, gravity naturally moves the snow off of the panel.

The snow removal plan will be finalized alongside the final design of the project and the emergency management plan that will be negotiated with the according local authorities.

Like most other States, New York does not require licenses or any type of certification to perform land work on behalf of energy companies. JS Land belongs to NALA (North American Landman’s Association) , the AAPL (American Association of Professional Landmen), IRWA (International Right of Way Association). We’ve adopted the AAPL Code of Ethics, and all of our land agents are presented this information and sign these materials stating they will abide by the code, prior to taking the field. If anyone has any points to discuss personally, they can contact Todd Scott, Co-Founder and Principle at JS Land Services. ts@ jslandservices.com

This data is not complete until the final design has been reached, so we cannot provide the percentages at this time. However, this data will become available to the public when our 94c application is submitted. This will be posted on our website and made publicly available at local libraries.

EDF Renewables focuses on avoiding impacts where we can. If we cannot completely avoid this, we focus on minimizing our impact and then lastly mitigating our impact. Mitigation efforts when needed for items such as wetlands or agricultural land, that will be done in accordance with Section 94c guidelines.

The lease will be transferred with any property sale.

Confidential information is removed to protect the nature of the agreement and the lease. It is common to file memorandum of lease, and not the lease itself, in all forms of real estate.

EDF Renewables is one the largest operators and maintenance organizations of solar projects in the United States. Our intention is to be the long-term owner of this project, and it is not within our business model to sell. That said, if the project were to sell, the leases would transfer for the terms of the agreement. Similarly, if the landowner were to sell, the terms of the lease would also transfer for the terms of the agreement.

Our leases generally cover access rights and development rights on the property, in agreement with the landowners.

EDF Renewables will have a local team of full-time operations personnel to monitor and maintain the system to the highest of standards. These personnel would be available to assist in these circumstances. There will also be a number located near the site for residents to call with any concerns.

Solar facility components such as inverters and transformers generate noise while they are in operation. The CSEC and other EDF Rrenewables' projects in NYS are regulated under Section 94-C/Article 10 and have to stay within strict standards for facility sound levels. Noise studies are conducted as part of the permitting process to make sure that the sound level is no greater than 45 decibels outside non-participating resident participating resident homes, which is the equivalent of a quiet house. To obtain permits for construction, a reduction of sound to 40-55 decibels next to homes is required.

Crystalline-silicone solar panels are constructed with an aluminum frame, glass, copper wire, polymer layers and a back sheet, silicon solar cells and a plastic junction box. Crystalline-silicon solar panels have an estimated lifespan of over 25 years. Small amounts of toxic chemicals may be present in PV panels, however potentially toxic materials are enclosed and do not mix with water or vaporize into the air, these materials are not released into the environment during normal use and do not pose significant health or environmental risk. Please see: https://edfr.info/solar_regulations

During the permitting process and prior to the start of construction, the project team will meet with local EMS officials to confirm the appropriate training and response protocols to be followed. A Site Security Plan and Emergency Action Plan will be prepared as part of the permitting process and will be reviewed with local EMS officials prior to the start of construction. In many cases, EDF Renewables will work with local fire departments to ensure necessary equipment is provided.

During the permitting process and prior to the start of construction, the project team will meet with local EMS officials to confirm the appropriate training and response protocols to be followed. We will work with local fire departments to create emergency management plans and provide training when needed. If the area typically works with other departments, then those according departments may be involved. All departments will be provided training.