The town of Thurston in Steuben County will address concerns about building commercial solar facilities and vote on whether to expand regulations on those facilities at its board meeting Thursday evening.

In 2024, the town board established a one-year moratorium on what are called “Tier 3” solar energy systems. Now, the board will vote on a local law to regulate the installation and use of all solar energy systems and equipment.

Thurston Town Supervisor Michael Volino said residents are concerned about environmental and community impacts from building commercial solar projects, or Tier 3 facilities. Those concerns include the risk of fires from the storage batteries, the disposal of decommissioned parts in local landfills and noise disturbances to name a few.

The town allowed a Tier 3 solar facility in 2021. According to Volino, Thurston Ridge Solar LLC is built on 27 acres and is worth $9 million in real property tax. However, due to the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency’s payment in lieu of taxes program, the town was not able to collect any taxes from the facility until 2024. The town’s portion of taxes received was $7,400.

Local residents complain about noise from Thurston Ridge Solar.

“[It] sounds like a constant refrigerator running beside their house,” said Volino.

When the town held a public hearing last spring, residents voiced their frustration. According to Volino, they were “all angry about the [Thurston Ridge Solar] facility on Lewis Road and that the town just let it happen. And responding to public comment, we don’t want to see more of this.”

Volino said the state’s renewable energy goals mean more projects for local towns to navigate.

“The only way that the state is going to reach these benchmarks, these goals that they’ve laid out, is by developing solar throughout upstate New York,” said Volino. “And, [we] as a town, we know it’s going to come sooner or later to Thurston. We as a town want to guide the process as much as we can.”

New York is implementing hydropower, wind and solar electricity systems across the state to meet an ambitious climate goal. The state wants to produce 70 percent of its electricity through renewable energy sources by 2030 and have zero-emission electricity power by 2040.

Volino said Steuben Rural Electric Cooperative (SREC), which supplies nearly a third of the town with electricity, is unable to take on the extra solar power that a Tier 3 facility would generate. The extra solar power would need to be kept in battery storage indefinitely.

Steuben Rural Electric is a resource for reliable and affordable electricity for underserved rural areas. It has been in operation since 1941 and provides service to 60 towns in four counties in the state. The electric cooperative is in nearly every town in Steuben County except the towns of Dansville, Prattsburgh, Wheeler, Caton and Pulteney. Schuyler, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties also receive their services.

The SREC currently receives 85 percent of its energy from hydroelectric power. The electric cooperative serves Thurston with power through the New York Power Authority (NYPA).

In an email, SREC General Manager Bryant Dillon said that proposed renewable energy projects “have not demonstrated a pathway to lowering the cost of service for our members.”

“While we recognize the importance of renewable energy in addressing global climate challenges, we also believe in being pragmatic stewards of our members’ resources, ensuring their energy remains both green and affordable,” said Dillon.

The town recently heard a presentation by the Chicago-based solar company Reactivate, which wants to build a Tier 3 facility on 20-30 acres on Knowles Road.

A final vote on the proposed Local Law No. 4, “2024 Solar Energy Facilities Local Law”, will take place during the Thurston Town Board meeting on Thursday, Jan. 2.