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Dryden Town Board Approves Solar PILOT Law
The town of Dryden recently greenlit a solar-based law on the heels of a proposed solar development project by New York state.
The town board at its April 11 meeting approved, 4-0, a new local law for negotiating a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) when the development of solar farms is being considered in the area.
The law ensures that “the benefits of the community’s solar energy resource are available to the entire community by promoting the installation of solar energy generating equipment through a PILOT, granting reduced costs to system developers and energy consumers, and providing a revenue stream to the entire community."
The town now requires a PILOT agreement for any developer that is looking to build a solar farm, or similar energy-producing projects, capable of generating at least 500 kilowatts of power. All agreements are pursuant to the real property tax law.
Dryden Town Supervisor Jason Leifer said at the April 11 meeting that Tompkins County recently passed a similar law.
“It’s always been in the books that we can do this,” Leifer said.
The town currently has no pending proposals for solar farms. However, the town board will soon consider a proposal by New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) for a 12.5-megawatt solar array facility and a 2.5-megawatt battery energy storage system at the former Ithaca North landfill site on 557 Caswell Rd.
NYSERDA’s proposed project is under its build-ready program. The length of the project would go from the east side of Caswell Road to the south side of Peruville Road in Dryden.
Terry Carroll, chief sustainability officer for the county, said the entire project will go through an approval process with the Dryden town board and planning board. The project itself will be introduced to the town board at its meeting on Thursday, April 18.
Once the development and approval process is complete, Carroll said that NYSERDA will auction the project for construction. NYSERDA’s hope, Carroll added, is that the project will begin construction in either 2025 or 2026. It is based on the “financial atmosphere” of the project as well, Carroll said.
With the town’s newest law, Leifer said that developers would have to notify all of the tax jurisdictions involved. Leifer added that the law will benefit the Dryden Central School District, the town and the village — along with the ambulance and fire tax districts and more.
- Kevin L. Smith, Tompkins Weekly, 2/17/24
The town of Dryden recently greenlit a solar-based law on the heels of a proposed solar development project by New York state.
The town board at its April 11 meeting approved, 4-0, a new local law for negotiating a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) when the development of solar farms is being considered in the area.
The law ensures that “the benefits of the community’s solar energy resource are available to the entire community by promoting the installation of solar energy generating equipment through a PILOT, granting reduced costs to system developers and energy consumers, and providing a revenue stream to the entire community."
The town now requires a PILOT agreement for any developer that is looking to build a solar farm, or similar energy-producing projects, capable of generating at least 500 kilowatts of power. All agreements are pursuant to the real property tax law.
Dryden Town Supervisor Jason Leifer said at the April 11 meeting that Tompkins County recently passed a similar law.
“It’s always been in the books that we can do this,” Leifer said.
The town currently has no pending proposals for solar farms. However, the town board will soon consider a proposal by New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) for a 12.5-megawatt solar array facility and a 2.5-megawatt battery energy storage system at the former Ithaca North landfill site on 557 Caswell Rd.
NYSERDA’s proposed project is under its build-ready program. The length of the project would go from the east side of Caswell Road to the south side of Peruville Road in Dryden.
Terry Carroll, chief sustainability officer for the county, said the entire project will go through an approval process with the Dryden town board and planning board. The project itself will be introduced to the town board at its meeting on Thursday, April 18.
Once the development and approval process is complete, Carroll said that NYSERDA will auction the project for construction. NYSERDA’s hope, Carroll added, is that the project will begin construction in either 2025 or 2026. It is based on the “financial atmosphere” of the project as well, Carroll said.
With the town’s newest law, Leifer said that developers would have to notify all of the tax jurisdictions involved. Leifer added that the law will benefit the Dryden Central School District, the town and the village — along with the ambulance and fire tax districts and more.
- Kevin L. Smith, Tompkins Weekly, 2/17/24
News and Events
Free Showing of Film "Common Ground" on May 8
The Tompkins County Food Policy Council in collaboration with Cinemapolis, Mothers Out Front, Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA), Sustainable Finger Lakes, and Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE) is proud to present the free showing of the film “Common Ground” on Wednesday, May 8 at 6:30 pm at Cinemapolis.
After the film, a brief panel discussion from practitioners in various food system sectors: Meaghan Sheehan-Rosen - FDN- Coord., Jeff Bessmer Greenstar G.M., Michael Klos Co-owner Kingbird Organic Farm, Prof. Michael Hoffman- CU Professor and author.
Several groups, including Mothers Out Front, Seneca Farm BioChar, The Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ Learning Project, NY Tree Crop Alliance, NOFA, Cayuga Lake Watershed Network will have booths in the hallway with pertinent food system information.
This event is free and open to all.
When: Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 6:30 pm
Where: Cinemapolis, 120 E Green St, Ithaca, NY 14850
Next TCCPI Meeting
Friday, May 31, 2024
9:00 - 11:00 am
The monthly TCCPI meetings have moved online. For Zoom info, contact Peter Bardaglio, the TCCPI coordinator, for further details at pbardaglio@gmail.com.
If you have any issues you would like to bring to the TCCPI monthly meetings, please e-mail us at info@tccpi.org. General meetings are on the last Friday of every month, except for November and December. Because of the holidays, the November-December meeting is held on the second Friday of December.
The Ithaca 2030 District
Visit TCCPI's latest project, the Ithaca 2030 District, an interdisciplinary public-private collaboration working to create a groundbreaking high-performance building district in Downtown Ithaca.
The Tompkins County Food Policy Council in collaboration with Cinemapolis, Mothers Out Front, Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA), Sustainable Finger Lakes, and Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE) is proud to present the free showing of the film “Common Ground” on Wednesday, May 8 at 6:30 pm at Cinemapolis.
After the film, a brief panel discussion from practitioners in various food system sectors: Meaghan Sheehan-Rosen - FDN- Coord., Jeff Bessmer Greenstar G.M., Michael Klos Co-owner Kingbird Organic Farm, Prof. Michael Hoffman- CU Professor and author.
Several groups, including Mothers Out Front, Seneca Farm BioChar, The Gayogo̱hó:nǫˀ Learning Project, NY Tree Crop Alliance, NOFA, Cayuga Lake Watershed Network will have booths in the hallway with pertinent food system information.
This event is free and open to all.
When: Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 6:30 pm
Where: Cinemapolis, 120 E Green St, Ithaca, NY 14850
Next TCCPI Meeting
Friday, May 31, 2024
9:00 - 11:00 am
The monthly TCCPI meetings have moved online. For Zoom info, contact Peter Bardaglio, the TCCPI coordinator, for further details at pbardaglio@gmail.com.
If you have any issues you would like to bring to the TCCPI monthly meetings, please e-mail us at info@tccpi.org. General meetings are on the last Friday of every month, except for November and December. Because of the holidays, the November-December meeting is held on the second Friday of December.
The Ithaca 2030 District
Visit TCCPI's latest project, the Ithaca 2030 District, an interdisciplinary public-private collaboration working to create a groundbreaking high-performance building district in Downtown Ithaca.
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