Smart Solar Amherst
Supporting responsible, environmentally sound solar development in Amherst
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Upcoming Events and Meetings
Next meeting, Not Until December- the Town of Amherst Conservation Commission may discuss the Anrad Application submitted on behalf of PureSky for a proposed Shutesbury Road Solar facility. The application can be found here. Abutters and interested residents are encouraged to attend. Public attendance at all hearings reminds the board that there is substantial public interest in the outcome. PureSky at work on a different site 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! |
PURESKY PAUSES ALL SOLAR DEVELOPMENT IN SHUTESBURY
September 3, 2025 - PureSky Energy halts any more solar development in Shutesbury, claims to be refocusing its resources elsewhere in the state and the country Read the PureSky news release here. HUGE LOCAL SOLAR NEWS W.D. Cowls Inc and PureSky Energy agree to drop lawsuit challenging Shutesbury's solar bylaws. Read the story here. MORE LOCAL SOLAR NEWS Shutesbury's solar rules remain in effect in the wake of PureSky/Cowls lawsuit dismissal. Read this story 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. This Project was WITHDRAWN - Spring 2025 All project materials can be found at the ZBA website: https://www.amherstma.gov/3741/Shutesbury-Road-Solar WHY SMART SOLAR AMHERST OPPOSES THE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. 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. 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 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. 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 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. 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. |
