“We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
--Benjamin Franklin, 1776
Overly dramatic?
Maybe.
But increasingly, that’s the stand the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors is taking when it comes to solar.
It’s not a matter of opposing projects like those on the table in the Towns of Sharon, Schoharie, and Middleburgh, argues Blenheim Supervisor Don Airey, who chairs the nearly year-old Energy Committee.
But rather, benefiting from them.
With that in mind, following a closed, executive session at their November 20 meeting, supervisors pledged full financial support to the Town of Sharon, now and going forward, for the Article 10 NextEra Energy project proposed there.
Without the resolution, said Sharon Supervisor Sandy Manko, the town, county, and Sharon Springs Central School, would have been splitting the cost of six bills totaling $14,235.96—just the latest in expenses.
“There’s no way anyone can afford that,” Mr. Airey said, “but it’s about more than money. It’s about these solar companies coming in and trying to pick us off one-by-one. They have no interest in paying their fair share of anything. Who knows where they’ll strike next.”
The resolution is a follow-up to a couple of others stressing the importance of agriculture and tourism and taking a position on taxes in relation to the NextEra project that Mr. Airey has forwarded to agencies like the state Energy Research & Development Agency, Office of Renewable Energy Siting, Public Service Commission and local legislators as well as the Association of Counties and the Association of Towns.
“These are powerful statements,” Ms. Manko said.
“It shows solidarity between the towns and the county. We’re all feeling the onslaught and pressure from the solar companies—especially if they know we don’t have the money to fight them.”
So far, the developers in Sharon haven’t requested a PILOT.
Without a PILOT—payments in lieu of taxes—the project will be fully taxed—though Mr. Airey pointed out NextEra could still apply for a PILOT after construction has begun.
Although the resolution approved on the 20th addresses just Sharon’s solar expenses, Mr. Airey said he feels it’s something the county should do for all towns.
“No town should be left as an island. We need to be partners in this, and maybe take the lead for all of New York State. We’re talking about fair and equitable taxation.”
Something that’s not even close to possible using the state’s PILOT model of $3,100 per megawatt, he said.
“What would that mean in Sharon? A 92 percent tax reduction. It can’t be that one-sided. Not for any of us.”
Mr. Airey said Next Era has refused to respond to requests for construction costs from consultant appraiser George Sansoucy, something needed to calculate equitable taxes.
Supervisors have authorized Mr. Sansoucy to instead move forward with his appraisal using the public record to calculate the costs.
“Time is of the essence,” Mr. Airey said: a ruling on the Article 10 Next Era project in Sharon is due by the end of January—at the latest.