20 MW solar facility receives approval from St. Johnsville (NY) Planning Board

A 20 megawatt (MW) solar facility in St. Johnsville (NY) under development by Cypress Creek Renewables could begin construction as soon as 2020, after receiving approval from the town’s planning board this month and a Renewable Energy Credit (REC) contract from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in 2017.

Once operational, the Tayandenega solar facility will produce enough electricity to power around 5,000 homes annually and will also be planted with pollinator-friendly vegetation to support the state’s bee, butterfly, and bat populations. The project was evaluated by the St. Johnsville Planning Board under the State Environmental Quality Review Act and was determined to have no significant impact on the environment. This is the fourth project of this scale in the State of New York to receive that determination.

“The Tayandenega Solar project is expected to contribute 10 times the amount of taxes to the St. Johnsville community than currently generated by the land and produce enough emissions-free energy for 5,000 homes,” said Marcel Falcon, Chairman of the St. Johnsville Planning Board. “We appreciate Cypress Creek’s work on the project and are supportive of the clean power it will create and the new revenue it will bring.”

The solar farm will be located on land owned by three families that maintain local farming operations. The landowners intend to use the income from their solar leases to support their ongoing agricultural operations.

Cypress Creek is a national solar company with a growing portfolio of operating projects in New York State. This includes 15 solar facilities totaling 29 MW of solar generation capacity developed by the company.

Noah Hyte, Executive Vice President of Development for Cypress Creek, said, “Tayandenega is Cypress Creek’s largest project yet in New York to reach this advanced stage of development. We are grateful for the St. Johnsville Planning Board’s review and approval of our application. We are excited to continue our investment in New York, working with NYSERDA and communities across the state.”

In 2018, Cypress Creek partnered with Hudson Valley Community College’s Workforce Development Institute (WDI) to support renewable energy jobs training for the state’s clean energy economy. The initiative, underwritten by a $25,000 investment from Cypress Creek, is helping HVCC recruit and support tuition assistance for women, veterans, and other underrepresented communities interested in working in the solar industry in New York State.

Cypress Creek has also joined forces with Cornell University to determine the ecological and economic benefits of planting pollinator-friendly wildflowers and habitat on solar farms in New York. The three-year, $100,000 partnership builds on the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability and being a good neighbor.