Shepard's Run solar farm application denied by state

The denial was the first time the state office has blocked a solar project.

Sarah Crowell, program manager with the Office of Renewable Energy Siting, said it was the first time the office denied an application for a solar project.

The state office Siting Executive Director Houtan Moaveni’s denial of the project was released Feb. 6, saying Hecate lost control of the main parcel of land for the project, about 20% of the it’s 265-acre footprint, which would have included the access road to the main piece of land to the solar panels.

Hecate leased the land at the corner of Cambridge Road and county Route 7 with the expectation of purchasing or continuing the lease on the property, but the lease ran out in September 2023. About four months later, on Jan. 2, Craryville Farms LLC, which is not affiliated with Hecate, purchased the 60 acres Hecate previously leased.

The LLC denied leasing the land back to Hecate for its inclusion into the project.

Brittany Kenny, senior public affairs manager with Martin Group Marketing, who works with the group Sensible Solar for Rural New York, said previously the land was purchased from a local farmer. Sensible Solar for Rural New York is a coalition of concerned citizens in rural Columbia County in opposition to the Shepherd’s Run project.

She said The farmer who owned the land before it was sold Jan. 2, wanted the land to stay in active agricultural use, which the new owner agreed to do.

Moaveni granted the town in January an expedited appeal to postpone scheduled in-person public hearings on the project, as well as two virtual comment sessions due to the land sale.

Richard Wolf, Copake town supervisor, said the municipality welcomed the state office’s decision to deny the project’s application.

“This isn’t the end of it,” Wolf said. “The decision left open the door for Hecate to seek a permit for a new facility.

“We hope that this time Hecate will work with us so we can do something that’s a plus for this community instead of an eyesore.”

Hecate Energy’s application was denied by Moaveni without prejudice, which allows the company to submit a new application for a modified project.

Linda Senk, a Copake representative of Sensible Solar for Rural New York, thanked Moaveni for denying the application.

“Finally, New York state has listened to local officials and the community, and stopped the Shepherd’s Run Solar Project,” she said. “From the outset, the proposed project went against local ordinances and the wishes of the community.”

The loss of the 60-acre parcel was Hecate Energy’s responsibility, and the company failed to act transparently at an important point of the process, Senk added.

“Thank you, Executive Director Moaveni, for stepping in and acknowledging the significant uncertainty surrounding this project and denying their application,” she said. “Sensible Solar continues to support the Town of Copake’s view that this project is deeply flawed, and believe that Hecate should abandon its plans for Shepherd’s Run.”

Representatives at Hecate Energy’s main office in Chicago did not respond to multiple phone calls for comment on the state’s denial of its application.

State Sen. Michelle Hinchey, D-41, said in a statement Hecate Energy’s approach to the project had been in bad faith.

“Today’s decision underscores the importance of prioritizing smart solar development, and I thank all the local officials and residents who sounded the alarm about the harms of this project,” she said.