Solar in the Dark (Visit the Cablevision Editorials website at cveditorials/LI) Is the public being kept in the dark about the spread of large scale solar projects in Suffolk County? Thats the worry expressed by civic organizations in Brookhaven that fear a host of solar projects will spread to hundreds of acres of open space and farmland. Case in point: a solar project in Shoreham strongly opposed by neighbors, and recently approved by Brookhavens planning board. Though the Shoreham property was used to grow sod, the planning board permitted solar generation there because the land is zoned for industrial use. The board approved sPowers proposal to use 60 acres on a former Shoreham sod farm to build a 9.5 megawatt solar project able to power more than 1,700 homes. Two LIPA board members joined Shoreham residents in complaining about being kept in the dark. While LIPA and PSEG Long Island are sensibly committed to purchasing more solar power to meet East End demand, they should make such purchases transparently. LIPA trustees should specifically approve any future solar projects of this size. And in the future, Brookhaven needs to develop zoning policies to steer solar projects to industrial districts and atop big box stores, and away from agricultural land, open space and residential areas. Southold has pioneered this approach, declaring solar on farmland can only be used for the farmers needs, not for a power plant. Riverhead is taking a similar approach. By all means, lets have more solar installations, but not on farmland or open space. Let the sun shine on solar power--and government decisions about where to put it. Presented by Peter Kohler October 28, 2014
Posted on: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 12:00:00 +0000