Smart Solar Amherst
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Supporting responsible, environmentally sound solar development in Amherst

Upcoming Events and Meetings

Town of Amherst Zoning Board of Appeals - April 10th - 6:00 pm


ZBA Application Shutesbury Road Solar - 
​https://www.amherstma.gov/3741/Shutesbury-Road-Solar

PureSky at work in Wilbraham MA clear cutting 17 acres of forest land for a solar project 40 percent smaller than the proposed Shutesbury Road Solar facility in Amherst MA. Don't let this happen here!

ABOUT THE SHUTESBURY ROAD SOLAR PROJECT​

PURESKY ENERGY resubmitted an application in August 2023 to construct a solar installation on Shutesbury Rd. Amherst’s Conservation Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals are in the process of deciding whether to issue a special permit.

This project is wrong for the site. It is too large—41 acres, equivalent to 30 football fields. It will destroy valuable forests, and wetlands needed to for carbon sequestration. It threatens to create flooding and degrade our water.

We can help shape the outcome. Letting the town know that we are interested sends a strong message. We can do that by attending and speaking at zoom meetings, informing others about the project, and writing public comments as well as articles. At times, the permitting process will appear to move slowing or hardly at all. Still, public interest needs to be maintained if we hope to contribute to shaping the outcome.

All project materials can be found at the ZBA website:

https://www.amherstma.gov/3741/Shutesbury-Road-Solar
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WHY SMART SOLAR AMHERST OPPOSES THE SHUTESBURY ROAD SOLAR PROJECT

The project proposes clear cutting over 6000 trees.

​The project proposes clear cutting 41 acres of forest–equal to more than 30 footballs –to install 10 acres of solar panels.

This untouched site is rich in forests and wetlands which are essential for carbon sequestration necessary to reach NetZero.

Reaching NetZero, according to the MASS Environmental Chief, requires a cleaner grid AND forests and wetlands to clean the air and water.

Clear cutting greatly increases the site’s vulnerability to flooding, erosion, and environmental disaster. Increased erosion and runoff during construction will impact private wells, which provides drinking water to 100% of the abutters.

Removing trees and isolating wetlands threatens the biodiversity/habitat that Biomap3 has identified.

The required onsite large lithium batteries are a technology prone to fire and can pollute the surrounding ground and surface water.

Energy produced by this facility will not directly reduce Amherst’s carbon footprint, and construction for the power plant will add to it.

Heavy equipment damage will occur on Shutesbury Road during construction.

The access road is located on a steep and dangerous blind curve.

There is currently no town bylaw regulating large scale solar development. This project jeopardizes the health, safety, and welfare of the residents which the ZBA is there to protect.


Hickory Ridge Solar Project Delayed Yet Again - December 8, 2023

The Town Manager has announced that construction of the long delayed Hickory Ridge Solar Project will not resume until mid 2024 at the earliest. The announcement came in the latest Amherst Town Manager Report for December 4, 2023:

Staff from the Conservation Department, Inspections Services, and Fire Department are working with representatives of PureSky, the Hickory Ridge solar developer, on the final design and permitting for the solar array at the former Hickory Ridge Golf Course. After months of delay, the project has been making its way back through the Conservation Commission and Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. Most of the recent focus has been on updated plans for stormwater management, access to the site during flooding events, and the type and safety of the proposed batteries for the arrays. Staff anticipate continuing to work with the PureSky team on these issues during next 60 days. If all concerns are addressed construction should commence in the spring or early summer.

Limited work on the project began in January of 2023 when 200 trees were cut down. An access road, erosion controls, and some chain link fencing were installed in the early spring. Soon after, construction came to an abrupt halt and has never resumed. Signs posted in the old golf course parking lot announce that the project would be complete sometime last August. Almost one year later, the dead trees are still on the ground and a abandoned looking construction trailer sits nearby.

Serious flooding of the Fort River that winds through the old golf course occurred in January and September. These events have raised questions about the safety of the project’s access road since a long section of the road crosses the known flood plain. To access the Hickory Ridge solar/battery site vehicles must cross this flood plain and the Fort River. After a moderate rainstorm in September, two to three feet of murky, moving water covered the road and the surrounding area. 

If Amherst emergency personnel attempted to respond at the site during heavy flooding, they would need to cross a broad pond created by the rising river and a bridge that often has the Fort River lapping over its decking during high waters. Heavy emergency vehicles would need to navigate across this dangerous morass, possibly in the dark. Fire fighters and other responders would be facing unreasonable risks if a battery fire or other emergency at the facility occurred during one of these frequent flooding events.

PureSky, continues to include fire-prone Powin Centipede 750 batteries in their Hickory Ridge project specifications despite that fact that these new batteries have been involved in at least three serious fires in the past six months. No official report has been issued by Powin or PureSky about the cause of these fires. Nevertheless, PureSky and Powin have informally blamed the problem on water intrusion into the battery containers. They have given no indication of how future fires will be prevented. Any battery that bursts into flames when exposed to water intrusion is a huge problem for this location. Locating 16 huge Powin Centipede 750 battery units at a flood-prone facility with major access issues during heavy rains could potentially lead to disaster. 

One could easily imagine the headlines:

“Firefighters Unable to Reach Battery Fire at Hickory Ridge Solar Project Due to High Flood Waters as Fires Enter Third Day”

“Amherst Officials Permitted Installation of Powin Batteries With Full Knowledge of Past Poor Fire Safety Record”

The health and safety of residents requires that the town continue to hold PureSky to a high standard. The project needs to be safe and should not put first responders and residents at risk. Stringent oversight by Amherst town officials can prevent this project from becoming another example of solar done wrong.


Yet Another Powin 750 Centipede Battery Fire

Will some town officials please speak up for safety?

IIt is important that you know that there has been yet another battery fire involving Powin 750 Centipede batteries, the same batteries proposed for installation at Hickory Ridge and Shutesbury Road. The fire occurred at a facility in Idaho in early October and burned for several days. The batteries were brand new.

At the October 12 Amherst ZBA meeting PureSky announced they are reducing the amount of batteries at the proposed Shutesbury Road Solar by 56 percent, supposedly to reduce “capital costs.”  They have reduced the units from 27 to 12. They still plan to use the fire prone Powin 750 Centipede batteries. PureSky also plans to use the same batteries at Hickory Ridge if they ever start construction again. They also claimed that Powin was close to revealing why the Warwick New York batteries burst into flames this summer.  PureSKY did NOT mention the Idaho fires at the October 12 ZBA meeting in Amherst.

Another meeting was taking place at the same time on October 12 in Duannesburg, New York where a different spokesperson from PureSky was explaining what had caused 2000 solar panels to crash to the ground at the Oak Hill One and Two project that had been under construction until last December. They had just started cleaning up the mess in August, nine months later! More on that disaster some other time.

After reassuring the Duannesburg town leaders that everything was under control and that safety was their highest concern, they began to talk about the batteries they would be using at Oak Hill. PureSky emphasized they would NOT be using the Powin 750 Centipede batteries, but a different model of Powin battery they described as safer.

Here are a few new Idaho Powin 750 Centipede Idaho fire links. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IZy_cHm2Sk

https://www.kivitv.com/news/battery-fire-at-idaho-power-substation-south-of-melba-continues-to-burn-through-tuesday-night

I have also provided a link to the October 12th Town Board meeting where PureSky makes it clear that the company is aware of the issues with the Powin 750 Centipede batteries, but still hopes to use them at some site in MASSACHUSETTS.  I apologize in advance for the sound quality of the meeting, but it is worth a listen.

ys. The batteries were brand new
41 Acre Solar Installation Proposed For Forested Land On Shutesbury Road 

Amherst’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) has set August 24 as the public hearing date for a resubmitted application from PureSky, formerly known as AMP. PureSky is seeking a Special Permit to develop and install a photovoltaic ground mounted solar array and lithium battery storage system on Shutesbury Road. This is the largest project of this kind ever proposed in Amherst. It will occupy 41.4 acres of forested land, which will be clear cut and accessed from the frontage between the residences at 186 and 201 Shutesbury Rd. The land is the property of W.D. Cowls, Inc.

In its first reiteration dating back to 2019, the application for this project from AMP was heard by the town’s Conservation Commission on October 24, 2021. At the November 18, 2021 meeting, the Commission determined that the application was incomplete and provided AMP with 30 days to submit the outstanding items needed before an evaluation of the project could begin. AMP and its engineering firm, TRC, withdrew the application on November 24.

There have been significant policy developments in both town and state government during the eighteen months since the withdrawal of the initial application:

On July 6, 2023, the Commonwealth released a comprehensive solar siting study that makes clear there is ample possibility to fulfill the state’s goals for solar energy without the need to employ natural and working lands, including farms and forests.

Governor Healey has also commissioned two stakeholder Commissions–the Commission on Clean Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting and the Interagency Offshore Wind Council—to accelerate state-wide clean energy siting and production. 

On May 18, 2023, the Town of Amherst released the results of a professional survey commissioned to learn community sentiment about local solar siting locations. Briefly summarized, the respondents expressed a substantial preference for solar development first on roof tops, canopies over parking lots, and brownfields. Natural and working lands, particularly forest, were the last choice.

The Town has also commissioned a solar siting map meant to rank potential solar development locations based on current land use and environmental characteristics. Overall, this town mapping corresponds to the state’s solar siting mapping.

​Meanwhile, a Solar Bylaw Working Group, appointed by the Town Manager and convened in March 2022, continues its work on a draft of Amherst’s first bylaw regulating solar development. The public may attend meetings on alternate Fridays, usually at 11:30 am. 

The ZBA’s Public Hearing on August 24 will be the first opportunity for the public to engage with the Board as it deliberates on the request for a special permit to clear cut 41 acres of forest.

​You can find all of the application details here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xVqqti3ErXpAg1ETKEUxkW6Wa1bWPjn8/view


41 Acre Shutesbury Road Forest Clear Cut Solar Proposal Returns - July 5, 2023

The intro....

The Applicant is proposing an approximately 9.35MWDC (4.4 MWAC) ground-mounted solar photovoltaic installation with a battery energy storage system (the “Project”). The total area of project disturbance will be 41.4 acres to be located on an approximate 102.48-acre site covering three parcels of land owned by W.D. Cowls, Inc., identified as assessor’s parcels 9B_11, 9B_12 and 9D_27 (the “Site”). Within these 41.4 acres, the array footprint itself will be about 19.95 acres – including about 10.3 acres of panels, 0.82 acres of gravel road, 0.28 acres of existing gravel path, and an equipment pad occupying 0.22 acres. Total lot coverage on site totals to 11.81 acres or about 11.52% of the parcel.

You can find all of the application details here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xVqqti3ErXpAg1ETKEUxkW6Wa1bWPjn8/view

More information soon.


Solar Construction at Hickory Ridge Comes to a Halt - June 8, 2023

Despite almost perfect building weather, construction of the Hickory Ridge Solar Project on Whitney Street in Amherst has been at a standstill for the past three weeks.

The 27-acre solar project was issued a special permit on September 12, 2019. The original solar developer dropped out. Amp Energy stepped in to construct and operate the project, in partnership with the town of Amherst. During late summer of 2022 the special permit was extended for an additional year.  

There has been some work on the project. Initial site work began on January 25, 2022, when a work crew cut down 190 mature trees on the north side of the old golf course. Many of the trees are still lying where they fell or have been piled around the building site. Erosion barriers were installed around the perimeter of the building site in March and a traprock road was built during April. Some chain link fencing was installed around the site in early May, but work on the fencing stopped after a few weeks. 

Two handmade cardboard address signs line either side of the entrance to the site along with small signs labeled, “Danger, construction area, keep out.” The entrance road is blocked by a gate tied closed with a chain. The only sounds coming from beyond the gate are bird songs and the only construction seems to be nest building.

It is not clear why construction on the site has come to a halt. It is also not known if Amp Energy has been able to obtain a building permit for the project. Attempts to acquire more information about the project have been unsuccessful. Emails to town building officials have not been answered and little information about this huge project is available to the public.

The June 2nd Amherst Town Manager’s Report says that work has begun on the installation of solar panels, but there are no solar panels or any other related materials on the property.  The last project update signs posted by the town at the Hickory Ridge trail entrance claim that construction will end in August/September. It seems highly unlikely that the solar field will be completed and operational by that date. In the meantime, the residents of Amherst can only wonder what is actually going on.

​New Concerns About Hickory Ridge Solar Project - May 17

A few months ago, we published an article revealing that AMP had hired Dynamic Energy Systems to build their solar installation on Hickory Ridge in Amherst. In this article, we expressed concern that Dynamic had recently been found responsible and fined for extensive damage to a local watershed in Williamsburg. Thankfully, town officials responded to these concerns and appear to be monitoring construction activities closely.

We have recently learned some additional facts about AMP’s work at Oak Hill Solar project, presently under construction in Duanesburg, New York. It is a 65-acre solar project with a battery storage component. AMP is the project owner and GreenCells USA is the contractor. Massive structural failures and unpaid bills of $2.3 million reveal a project in disarray. It is important for Amherst to protect itself from a similar fate at Hickory Ridge. We are calling on the town to consider what can be learned by the Duanesburg problems BEFORE issuing a building permit for Hickory Ridge.

Oak Hill Solar construction began in 2022 with significant progress throughout the summer and fall. According to reports from abutters, who have continued to document the site with reports and photos, around December 22, 2022, a strong snowstorm hit the site and caused major damage to many rows of solar panels. Even more distressing is the fact that five months later, many hundreds of feet of broken solar panels are still lying on the ground and no cleanup effort has been made. As of May 2023, there is still no substantial activity at Oak Hill Solar. Construction on the project appears to be halted, and it is unclear what will happen next. 

In another troubling development, several mechanical liens have been filed against the Duanesburg property owner and AMP. The liens are for non-payment of goods and services totaling more than $2.3 million. The liens were filed by various sub-contractors who worked on the project in 2022 and have not been paid.

What does any of this have to do with the town of Amherst?

1. We believe that the Town of Amherst should require a third-party engineering review of the mounting post and solar panel tracking system being proposed for use at Hickory Ridge. It could be that the issues that occurred in Duanesburg NY might happen here due to the challenge of anchoring posts in the deep clay present at the Amherst site. 

2. The issue of non-payment to sub-contractors should be a particular concern to the Town of Amherst which is now in a partnership with AMP at Hickory Ridge. It is important to note that the liens have been filed against the landowner in addition to AMP and Greencell USA. We do not claim to fully understand the complicated deal involving the acquisition of Hickory Ridge, but it appears that any liens filed on the Hickory Ridge project would also involve the town.

3. The apparent negligence on display at the Oak Hill Solar site should be a warning. What will AMP do at Hickory Ridge if there is a similar incident? Is there a surety bond or indemnification that protects the town against any eventuality?

​For further note: on February 21, 2023, AMP announced that it was selling its US-based holdings to a consortium of funds, managed by Fiera Capital Corp and an Australian-based Palisade Infrastructure Group. AMP’s website declares the company’s intention to become “a global energy transition supermajor.” What impact might this acquisition and desire to become a global supermajor have on AMP’s ability to focus on a project in progress, to see a project through to the end, and to pay its bills? Who is really in charge of this company now? Can the town get an answer to this question from AMP? We hope that the town officials working with AMP on the Hickory Ridge project will continue to closely monitor all aspects of the construction and take advantage of their partnership to get answers to the questions we have raised.

Jenny Kallick and Michael Lipinski are residents of Amherst and members of Smart Solar Amherst


Friday, April 28, 2023

Company Responsible For Williamsburg Solar Disaster Hired As Hickory Ridge Solar Developer

On February 3, 2023, the town of Amherst posted a “courtesy notice,” announcing that “the Fort River Solar 2, LLC (“FRS2”) Solar Project, managed by Amp Solar Development Inc. (“Amp”) is set to begin construction in the coming weeks.” The notice continued—” The Town and FRS2, along with the site contractor, Dynamic Energy, will be constructing a 3.83 MWac community solar project.”

Not mentioned in the town’s posting is the fact that Dynamic Energy was responsible for the 2018 Williamsburg solar disaster. As detailed in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s press release on February 1, 2021, Dynamic Energy Solutions “disregarded fundamental pollution control requirements for construction sites.” According to Michael Gorski, director of Mass DEP’s Western Regional Office, “the impacts to the wetlands and wildlife habitat areas were not only egregious, they were entirely avoidable.”  Dynamic agreed to pay approximately $1.14 million in a settlement with the commonwealth.

Dynamic’s work in Williamsburg is a prime example of solar gone wrong. A detailed description of the disaster and the settlement can be found in the attorney general’s press release, and in this Daily Hampshire Gazette article.

The Fort River solar project at the former site of the Hickory Ridge Golf Course is located on environmentally sensitive, flood-prone town land. This site leaves no room for error. Based on their track record, Dynamic’s role as site contractor suggests the following actions need to be considered immediately:

1. Given the fragile environmental conditions at Hickory Ridge an environmental monitor, paid for by AMP and working for the town, must be required immediately.

2. Given that AMP has not been required to provide a bond to cover any damages and necessary remediation, the town should remedy this by requiring a bond from AMP and Dynamic.

​3. Given the concerns raised by this information, the Town Council, Planning Board, and ZBA should discuss whether AMP, as the party responsible for hiring Dynamic Energy Solutions, may be allowed to oversee projects now and in the future.
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Read the followup article in the Hampshire Gazette

Advocates flag concerns over solar subcontractor at old Hickory Ridge Golf Course in Amherst
By SCOTT MERZBACH

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RETHINKING WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW - New Developments on Where Solar Should be Sited

Important Solar Siting Joint Statement from MassAudubon, the Nature Conservancy, the New England Forestry Foundation and others.
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For the past year, Smart Solar Amherst has been a leader in the effort to develop a comprehensive solar bylaw and solar siting policy in the town. We look forward to supporting the efforts of the study committee and town staff in this endeavor.  We would like to be clear about one of the many solar siting considerations that will be part of this study.  We DO NOT support clear cutting forest. We believe it makes no sense to destroy large swaths of forest ecosystems in order to produce “clean energy”.  Mature forests are the best tools the Earth has to absorb and store carbon dioxide. We need to preserve them and limit the siting of industrial solar to more appropriate sites.

Just some of the reasons to avoid Clear-Cutting:

Increases the risks of soil erosion. Trees slow down water currents, preventing rill formation.

Leads to sedimentation and nutrient leakage to water bodies.

Destroys forest ecosystems depriving wildlife of natural habitats and decreasing biodiversity.

Interferes with the water cycle.

Raises water temperature in the riparian zones due to lack of shade, which adversely affects aquatic animals.

Worsens air quality. Trees enrich the atmosphere with oxygen and take carbon dioxide. Clear-cutting reduces both benefits.

Removes carbon sinks. Tree and forest soils accumulate carbon. When forests are cut, carbon is released, adding to global warming and climate change.

Provokes slides. Tree roots hold the soil in place. After clear-cutting, the earth becomes loose, which often leads to slides.

Clear-cutting is deforestation. Permanent forest cuts without regeneration may result in forest losses, land devastation and desertification.


Solar Construction at Hickory Ridge Comes to a Halt

Despite almost perfect building weather, construction of the Hickory Ridge Solar Project on Whitney Street in Amherst has been at a standstill for the past three weeks.

The 27-acre solar project was issued a special permit on September 12, 2019. The original solar developer dropped out. Amp Energy stepped in to construct and operate the project, in partnership with the town of Amherst. During late summer of 2022 the special permit was extended for an additional year.  

There has been some work on the project. Initial site work began on January 25, 2022, when a work crew cut down 190 mature trees on the north side of the old golf course. Many of the trees are still lying where they fell or have been piled around the building site. Erosion barriers were installed around the perimeter of the building site in March and a traprock road was built during April. Some chain link fencing was installed around the site in early May, but work on the fencing stopped after a few weeks. 

Two handmade cardboard address signs line either side of the entrance to the site along with small signs labeled, “Danger, construction area, keep out.” The entrance road is blocked by a gate tied closed with a chain. The only sounds coming from beyond the gate are bird songs and the only construction seems to be nest building.

It is not clear why construction on the site has come to a halt. It is also not known if Amp Energy has been able to obtain a building permit for the project. Attempts to acquire more information about the project have been unsuccessful. Emails to town building officials have not been answered and little information about this huge project is available to the public.

The June 2nd Amherst Town Manager’s Report says that work has begun on the installation of solar panels, but there are no solar panels or any other related materials on the property.  The last project update signs posted by the town at the Hickory Ridge trail entrance claim that construction will end in August/September. It seems highly unlikely that the solar field will be completed and operational by that date. In the meantime, the residents of Amherst can only wonder what is actually going on.

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​About Smart Solar Amherst

​ ​WHO? Smart Solar Amherst is a coalition of Amherst residents that support the development of renewable energy sources, while protecting forests, native habitats, water, and biodiversity. 

 WHAT?  W.D. Cowls has engaged PureSky, a Canadian energy firm, to develop a large-scale 41-acre ground-mounted solar installation.  This installation would require the clear-cutting of 45 acres of forest. The project would be close to 3 times the size of the largest solar array that presently exists in Amherst. 

WHERE?  This project would be installed on forested wilderness owned by W.D. Cowls, on the south side of Shutesbury Road, close to the Adams Brook, along the Pelham border in North Amherst.
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WHEN?  Initial contact with Shutesbury Road abutters was made by Cowls/AMP in December 2019, when the Amherst Conservation Commission was in the process of reviewing a required wetlands delineation study. Recently Cowls/AMP submitted a Notice of Intent to the town of Amherst ZBA. This is the first step in a process that could lead to a special permit to develop a large-scale solar installation on this land.

WHY?  As residents of Amherst, we are the guardians and beneficiaries of its natural resources. Though we support renewable energy, we have deep concerns about the serious and adverse effects of this project and its potential long-term harm.  

We advocate for:

• Avoiding large-scale deforestation;
• Protecting public/private water supply;
• Protecting wild-life habitat, especially rare species;
• Protecting wetlands;
• Placing solar arrays on disturbed land, not forests;
• Creating by-laws that address the development of future solar installations. 

​
HOW? Organize and advocate for best science-based practices, and safe and environmentally sound use of our natural resources.​

​WHO? Smart Solar Amherst is a coalition of Amherst residents that support the development of renewable energy sources, while protecting forests, native habitats, water, and biodiversity.

[email protected]

Smart Solar Shutesbury

Smart Solar Western Mass