Bear Ridge Solar Project

About Bear Ridge Solar

In support of New York State’s Clean Energy Standard mandate to secure 50 percent of the State’s electrical supply from renewable sources by 2030, Cypress Creek Renewables is proposing to construct “Bear Ridge Solar,” a 100 MW-AC solar energy generation facility in the towns of Cambria and Pendleton, Niagara County, New York. The project is expected to be sited on approximately 900 acres and will safely generate enough clean, renewable electricity to power between 15,000 and 20,000 single-family homes. The project will also offset an estimated 160,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually, the equivalent of removing 15,000 cars from the road each year. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Social Cost of Carbon, a measure, in dollars, of the long-term damage done by a ton of CO2 emissions in a single year and the value of damages avoided through an emission reduction, the environmental benefit of this project will provide an economic benefit equivalent to $6.2 million per year to the State of New York.

Project Milestones

• Submit Draft Public Involvement Plan (PIP) – 6/5/18

• Submit Final Public Involvement Plan (PIP) – 10/10/18

• Submit Preliminary Scoping Statement (PSS) – 2/15/19

• Submit Application

• Determination

About Article 10

Article 10 is a regulatory process under the New York State Public Service Law that provides for the siting review of new energy projects considered “major electric generating facilities” by the Board of Electric Generation Siting and the Environment, or the “siting board.” The Article 10 process provides a unified review and approval for major electric generating facilities with a capacity greater than 25 MW in New York State.

Article 10 follows a five-phase process—and every phase includes opportunities for public comment:

• Pre-application

• Application

• Administrative Hearings

• Siting Board Decision

• Compliance

Submittal of the PIP is the first step in the Article 10 process—the next step, submittal of a Preliminary Scoping Statement cannot be taken until 150 days after the PIP has been submitted. The PIP, which is available on the Department of Public Service (DPS) website, as well as on the project website, www.bearridgesolar.com, outlines a variety of public participation opportunities throughout the decision-making process.

Summary of Intervenor Funding Process and How to Apply

Intervenor refers to a party that joins an Article 10 proceeding as a third-party for the protection of an interest. Some intervenors join as a matter of right, others are permitted to join by the Presiding Examiner or the Siting Board. Article 10 entitles the municipal and local parties to intervenor funding provided by the Applicant to be used to defray certain expenses incurred in their participation in the pre-application scoping process. Intervenors and interested parties have specific interests and issues of concern, and communication with them will therefore, extend beyond that which is conducted with other audiences to provide them with as much detail as possible to address their information needs. The Applicant will deposit intervenor funds with the DPS at the time the pre- Application Preliminary Scoping Statement is filed in an amount equal to $350 for each 1,000 kilowatts (i.e. 1 MW) of generating capacity of the Facility, but no more than $200,000. Pre-application funds will be dispersed to qualifying parties to aid in their participation in the Scoping phase of this proceeding. Each request for pre- Application funds will be submitted to the Presiding Examiner assigned to the proceeding before the Siting Board, and at least 50 percent of the pre-application intervenor funds shall be reserved for potential awards to municipalities. Additional funds for intervenor participation will be deposited with the DPS at the time the Project Application is filed in an amount equal to $1,000 for each 1,000 kilowatts of capacity, but no more than $400,000. Funds deposited with the Application may be used by parties for qualifying consultants and activities in the post-Application phase of the proceeding.

Solar 101 Open House

New energy choices are coming, and people have a lot of questions. We held Solar 101 sessions on October 3 and 4 with solar power experts to provide some answers about different kinds of solar power. We were excited to have an opportunity to speak with so many community members about Bear Ridge Solar! Read more about the Solar 101 event via WIVB 4.

Bear Ridge Solar’s proposed facility in Cambria and Pendleton, NY will deliver clean, reliable, renewable solar energy into the grid in Western New York. That’s power for nearly 25,000 homes and businesses, construction jobs for up to 300-and economic benefits for the community.