Solar in Town of Delaware?

Anya Tikka
Posted 8/21/12

HORTONVILLE, NY — At the Town of Delaware board meeting on November 12, Mav Moorhead talked about her recent findings regarding the town adopting a solar program. She came to the previous meeting …

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Solar in Town of Delaware?

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HORTONVILLE, NY — At the Town of Delaware board meeting on November 12, Mav Moorhead talked about her recent findings regarding the town adopting a solar program. She came to the previous meeting as a guest, and as a result, was asked to explore the available options. At the meeting, the council appointed four members to the newly formed energy committee. They include Moorhead, Rich Winter, Isaac Green Diebboll and Ginny Boyle.

Moorhead went over the many options she said were available for the town to take, saying there was still much ground to cover in order to get the best deal, and that the committee’s investigation was ongoing.

The options investigated include a program offered by NYSERDA, which offers towns reduced cost energy in exchange for moving to solar-generated electricity. Moorhead reported 24 towns are installing solar energy now in the state. The incentive is open to municipalities, individuals, schools and businesses, and the program expires the last day of the year.

Another option is NY Sun Initiative, distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, Moorhead said. It is a statewide program initiated by Gov. Andrew Cuomo intended to drive down the cost of solar installations for communities and local governments.

Moorhead also mentioned the “Solarize Campaign” that will be up on NYSERDA’s website within two months. It is a program that started in Portland, OR in 2011 and is operated with support from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Moorhead asked for help with gathering the information NYSEG needs. This includes the distance from the photovoltaic panels to the interconnect, and the electric needs of the water treatment plant, which has the highest electric usage in the town.

Another possibility for saving money on energy consumption would be to piggyback on another town that’s participating in MEGA, or Municipal Electric & Gas Aggregate.

The town officials offered help by providing maps available from municipal offices that give the location of every usage point within the town.

Moorhead also outlined her meeting with Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther that same afternoon. She reported Gunther was “all gung-ho,” wanting to help the town and other towns move forward with solar projects.

“We’re really trying to devise a roadmap,” Moorhead said, “because there are many different routes and agencies. We’re trying to figure out how to connect the dots; that’s the challenge.” She said the committee would continue its research, and a committee meeting was set for November 29.

In Sullivan County, the Town of Tusten is moving forward with a solar project. The Town of Callicoon rejected grants and incentives totaling about $300,000 in 2008, which would have paid entirely for a solar system for the town.

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