Construction of a 240 MW solar farm in Canton, New York has been proposed. The solar park, if approved, would go into commercial operation in 2025 and would be referred to as the Rich Road Solar Farm. It would cover around 1,500 hectares with 240 MW of electricity production capacity. Up to 20 MW of storage capacity will also be built. To date, the project has rented more than 30 lots owned by nine owners on Irish Settlement Road. The east-west area is bounded by parcels along O’Horo Road and Miner Street Road. The solar company is in the fifth round of bidding for the RES procurements of Rich Road Solar. Bids are due this coming months while the awards are usually announced before the end of the year.
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The solar project initially involves rebuilding 78 miles of the north-south line connecting San Lorenzo and Lewis counties. The Moses-Adirondack line, built by the federal government in 1942, begins in Massena and carries electricity from the San Lorenzo Power Project south to the Adirondack substation in Croghan. The second phase involves rebuilding an additional 8 miles of existing steel structures and upgrading the Massena switchgear and Croghan substation. The construction of the first phase should be completed in 2023. A number of studies and investigations must be conducted before the Rich Road solar project’s substation can access the new NYPA lines that cross the southern portion of the project boundary. should be coordinated with state agricultural, environmental history, and transportation agencies, as well as the San Lorenzo County Planning Office, the County Soil and Water Conservation District, and cantonal planners.
Some exploration has begun, further field and aerial photographs are planned for the fall and civil engineering work for the winter. Next year, preliminary results will determine if additional studies are needed and a permit application could be made from September 2022. Subject to approval, construction could begin in late 2023 and take an average of 12 months until 2025.
