Callicoon going solar?

Gunther pledges $125,000

By FRITZ MAYER

JEFFERSONVILLE, NY — The Town of Callicoon may be about to jump to the head of the line in terms of local municipalities making a move toward green technology.

At a town meeting on September 8, supervisor Linda Babicz announced a proposal that would add 20 kilowatts (KW) of electric power from solar panels at the town hall, and 21 KW of electric and heating through solar and solar-thermal panels at the town barn. This would be the second largest solar installation in the county after the one at The Discovery Center in Harris.

Babicz told the board members that the cost of the installations would be about $335,000, but that the entire cost of the project would be paid for by rebates from the state and federal governments, and with a pledge from assemblywoman Aileen Gunther to kick in an additional $125,000. Babicz said that savings to the town in electric and heating costs would be $7,000 per year to start.

Dick Riseling, a member of Sullivan Alliance for Sustainable Development, prepared the initial documents that were given to the board, and explained that the solar panels themselves required essentially no maintenance over their 25-year guaranteed life, though other parts of the system may need to be changed or maintained.

Town officials mostly expressed support, but had questions about how to go forward.

Town attorney Marvin Newberg asked if other New York towns had knowledge of how to prepare requests for proposals (RFP) for this sort of project, because no one in Callicoon had that kind of experience. Riseling replied that towns outside of Sullivan County had installed solar panels, and they would be contacted regarding RFP.

Joe Ann Baker, the supervisor’s bookkeeper, said that saving $7,000 per year for 25 years would not earn the town enough money to buy a new system when the first one comes to the end of its life.

Resident Bill Engle said that at the end of the 25 years, the town could switch back to getting all of its power from the grid if necessary. The savings in the meantime would be substantial.

Babicz said that the cost of electricity was very likely to rise over the coming years, while the cost of solar technology was likely to come down.

Riseling said that companies making projections about the cost of energy installations project an annual eight percent rise of the cost of electricity from the grid, so that the savings to the town would be much more than the initial $7,000 per year.

The board agreed to gather information from other towns and meet in advance of a visit from Gunther. The assemblywoman is tentatively scheduled to come to the next regular town meeting on October 13.