Smart Solar Amherst
Supporting responsible, environmentally sound solar development in Amherst
Dear Smart Solar Amherst Friends,
LAST OPPORTUNITY TO ADVOCATE FOR FORESTS AND FARMS
AT THE SOLAR BYLAW WORKING GROUP’S FINAL MEETINGS:
OCT 3, 4-6 PM - will be sent as soon as it is posted by the Town
In April 2022 Town Manager Paul Bockelman charged the Solar Bylaw Working Group to develop a solar zoning bylaw. The charge emphasized that “the SBWG will engage the community to ascertain community values.” To that end, consultants GZA conducted a community survey last spring with these notable results as reported by Michael Lipinski (Amherst INDY, April 28, 2023):
• 90% of respondents want to see large scale solar installed on parking lot canopies and rooftops.
• Little support for large-scale industrial solar on forest land
• Little support for large-scale industrial solar on agricultural land or open space
• Some respondents showed interest in Dual-Use Agriculture/Solar.
• Most respondents support a strong solar bylaw that strictly regulates where solar can be constructed.
• Most respondents were aware of carbon emission targets and believe they are important.
The working group’s most recent meetings have debated what protections to offer forests and farms. The final SBWG meetings present an opportunity to voice your opinion, either through email or a comment during the public comment portion of the meeting:
Contacts:
Stephanie Ciccarello, Director of Sustainability (ciccarellos@amherstma.gov)
Christine Brestrup, Planning Director (brestrupc@amherstma.gov)
SBWG Webpage: https://www.amherstma.gov/3677/Solar-Bylaw-Working-Group
Thank you,
Renee Moss
Smart Solar Amherst
www.smartsolaramherst.org
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.
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.
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.
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 AMP, a Canadian energy firm, to develop a large-scale 45-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.
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 Conservation Committee. 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:
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.
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 AMP, a Canadian energy firm, to develop a large-scale 45-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.
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 Conservation Committee. 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.
