UPDATE

Boralex held a public open house on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, ahead of our expected 94-c application submission in the first quarter of 2024. Thank you to all who attended. A copy of the information presented at the Open House is available here. 

Boralex previously held a public open house in March 2023 in Fort Covington. Materials from that event can be found here. 

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Boralex’s Fort Covington Solar project is a 250 MW photovoltaic solar energy generation facility to be located in the Town of Fort Covington in Franklin County, New York and is expected to provide enough energy to power approximately 64,000 homes. The project was originated in 2021 by Boralex.

The project will include solar arrays and other project infrastructure such as the site roads, substation and electrical interconnection to the National Grid 230 kV circuit.

PERMITTING PROCESS

Currently in early-stage development, the facility is expected to be commissioned in Q2 2027.

Boralex has begun to engage with the local community (e.g. landowner, town and county representatives, state officials, school districts and groups of interest) and will pursue this consultation process throughout all phases of development and operations.

Environmental and permitting activities began in Q3 2021 and will be governed under the new 94-c state permitting process through the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES). Permitting activities are expected to span throughout 2022 and 2023. All project infrastructure will be situated in such a manner as to respect municipal, state, and federal regulations as well as taking into consideration feedback from residents and other stakeholders.

Once Boralex submits its application (expected in Q2 of 2024) the company is subject to Subpart 900-5 of the regulations, in which a 94-c Application requires $1,000 per 1,000 kilowatts of the project’s nameplate capacity, which for this project means Boralex will deposit $250,000 in the Local Agency Account Fund (LAAF).

75% of the of Local Agency Account funds shall be reserved for local agencies. Subject to ORES approval, the funds can be used to defray expenses for expert review, or local agencies will use the funds to determine whether a proposed facility is designed to be sited, constructed, and operated in compliance with applicable local laws. Any local agency or potential community intervenor shall submit a request for initial funding within 30 days of the date of the application filing.

Go to https://ores.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2023/10/laaf_request_form-10-1-2023.pdf for a form with instructions on how to submit a LAAF request. Requests can be submitted via email (hearings@ores.ny.gov) or mail (ORES, Attn: Local Agency Account Fund Request [Matter No. 23-00052], c/o OGS Mailroom, Empire State Plaza, 240 State Street, P-1 South, J Dock, Albany, NY 12242).

PROJECT BENEFITS

• Create a new revenue stream that the Town can use for community services 
• Generate increased tax revenues to local school districts, host communities, and the county throughout project operations
• Local workforce development training
• Beyond Renewables Fund to support STEM education and workforce development programming: 
  • Created following receipt of NYSERDA 2021 Tier-1 project awards
  • Partnering with Cornell Cooperative Extension and local school districts’ P-TECH
  • To meet the objectives of the NYS climate law, additional emphasis is placed on investing in programs focusing on disadvantaged communities.​​​​​
• Partnering with local non-profits and stakeholders to assist in local improvements
  • Helped fund improvements to Rainbow Park
  • Funded Meals On Wheels via the Adult Center
  • Provided financial support to the Fort Covington Fire Department
  • Sponsored 2023 Art Market and Juried Show presented by Akwesasne Travel

Photo courtesy of Akwesasne Travel, who had this to say about Boralex’s involvement: Procuring our Mainstage Sponsor this year from Boralex allowed us to make our event special to all who participated. We were able to elevate the event monumentally from the first year to the second due to this generous sponsorship, and for that we are incredibly appreciative. 

MULTI-USE AGRICULTURAL PLAN

Responsible solar development can improve soil health, retain water, nurture native species, and produce food.

Current solar racking provides ample space between panels, allowing for maintaining traditional use of the land—while also generating new, reliable income for the farmer.

Working with local and state stakeholders, Boralex’s adaptive agricultural plans may include:

• Growing hay or shade-tolerant crops
• Animal grazing
• Seeding to enhance pollination or carbon sequestration

Boralex has successfully implemented multi-use on our operational solar facilities. We are continuously seeking input from the local agricultural community on new multi-use options in harmony with the local agricultural economy.

OPEN HOUSES

Boralex is holding a public open house ahead of our expected 94-c application submission in the first quarter of 2024. The Open House will be held on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 from 5 to 8 PM at the Fort Covington Adult Center, 2526 Chateaugay St., Fort Covington, NY 12937. Please join at any time. More details here. 

Boralex held our first in-person public open house in March 2023. 

CONTACT

For more information please contact:

Bryan Tripp, (905) 691-6141, bryan.tripp@boralex.com

Sara Prizzi, (518) 502-4282, sara.prizzi@boralex.com

Members of the media, please contact Zack Hutchins at zachary.hutchins@boralex.com or (518) 727-6155.