The 50-megawatt, 352-acre Article 10 solar project being proposed along and off Route 20 in the Town of Sharon could be headed into the final stretch.
The clock on a year-long review of the East Point Energy Project proposed by NextEra Energy of Juno Beach, Florida began ticking Friday.
That after the state Public Service Commission accepted NextEra’s application as “compliant”—essentially complete.
NextEra submitted its application in September, then followed up with missing information on December 23 and January 27.
Friday’s ruling was expected, but no less welcome for NextEra’s Project Manager Kris Scornavacca.
“This is a great day,” Mr. Scornavacca said Friday.
“I can probably count on two hands the number of projects that have made it this far. It really shows the commitment of everyone involved.”
The PSC holds pretty tightly to the 12-month timeline, he said, and by January 31, 2021, “We should have a decision on whether the project is approved or not.”
Not everyone is celebrating, though.
Sharon Supervisor Sandy Manko said NextEra’s been anything but upfront about its plans, and both she and Tony DiPace, who’s heading up PILOT negotiations, said there’s been nothing on that front since June. (See related story.)
Mr. Scornavacca said the next step in the process will be an Informational Forum Thursday, March 19 at the Sharon Springs Firehouse beginning at 5pm.
The meeting will differ from the NextEra information sessions held in 2019 and ’18.
First, Administrative Law Judges will explain the Article 10 process—which gives the state and not local municipalities the authority to approve or deny large-scale commercial solar applications.
Then, Mr. Scornavacca said, NextEra will give a brief presentation on the project.
Beginning at 6pm, anyone who wants to speak before Administrative Law Judges Gregg Sayre of the Department of Public Service and Michael Caruso of the Department of Environmental Service on the project will be able to do so.
There may be time limits, those who wish to speak will be required to fill out a request card, and it won’t be a give and take with questions asked and answered; the questions and concerns will be entered into the public record and considered as the project is reviewed, Mr. Scornavacca said.
According to the PSC, comments may also be submitted in writing online, by mail, or by email.
Refer to “Case 17-F-0599.”
To submit comments electronically, go to the Department of Public Service website www.dps.ny.gov and click on “Search” at the top of the page.
Enter “17-F-0599” into the “Search by Case Number” field, then clock on the “Post Comments” box at the top right of the page.
Email comments to the Honorable Michelle Phillips, secretary, at Secretary@dps.ny.gov.
Mail or hand-deliver comments to: Secretary Phillips, New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350.
All written comments will become part of the record.
There’s also a toll-free opinion line, 1-800-335-2120, set up to receive in-state calls 24 hours a day.
These calls aren’t transcribed but will be summarized for the Siting Board.

INSIDE THE T-J:
--Pitfalls of Article 10
--Moratoriums & solar laws
--County's new Energy Committee a blancing act