A new solar farm is planned for a former Albany landfill.
New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin Driscoll says the 1.5-megawatt solar farm at the former North Albany/Shaker Park Landfill brownfield is the first to be built through the authority's Renewable Energy Access and Community Help program.
“This project, in particular, is part of our REACH program, which is designed to benefit low- and moderate-income communities with the benefit of clean renewable energy. So they'll receive Bill credits from the revenues derived from this project to lower their energy costs. So it's a home run for the community, and obviously it's part of the broader state's clean energy transition.”
The solar farm will power the equivalent of more than 200 homes and is scheduled to be completed in 2027. Driscoll says it’s one of more than three dozen renewable energy projects NYPA has planned across the state.
In the Capital Region, that includes the 20-megawatt Somers Solar project, to be built on nearly 150 acres in the Washington County town of Fort Edward.
Department of Environmental Conservation Acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton celebrated the announcement Thursday.
“We are very excited to announce that the city of Albany has achieved the silver status, which is the highest status in the Climate Smart Communities program for all the really meaningful work that they've done here to support city residents, of which this solar project today will help support.”
Accepting the award from Lefton, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said the achievement – and the solar farm — wouldn’t have been possible without the support of city employees, like Water Department Commissioner Joe Coffey and Department of General Services Commissioner Sergio Panunzio. The Democrat says looking to the future is especially important given the growing impacts of climate change across the state.
“We look forward to this project and the many, many more to come, because we have a governor who has a vision for New York and who recognizes that preserving our environment and our places and our spaces is critically important to the viability of our future here in New York and to our economic growth that she is spurring across not just the Capital Region but the entire state.”
City Sustainability Director Jason West says this project adds to Albany’s previous green initiatives.
“Over the past few years, we’ve also deepened our relationship with NYPA. We’ve been partnering on projects ranging from upgrading our street lights to LEDs to procuring 100 percent clean energy for city operations to building the community solar array here at the old North Albany landfill.”
