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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02_YB_Appx 02-B_Presentation MaterialsCS Energy is a leading integrated energy company that develops, designs, and builds optimized projects in the solar, storage, and emerging energy industries across the United States Industry-leading firm with a proven track record in NY - we are a reliable long-term partner for communities and landowners. CS Energy developed and is building the first large-scale solar project in the state and was celebrated on Earth Day by NYSERDA in 2021. Who We Are Creating 160 MW of clean, renewable energy Planning to bid into the NYSERDA 2021 Annual Large Scale Renewables Solicitation, and submit to ORES for permitting in 2022 Expected construction start in 2024. Yellow Barn Solar Project in Lansing and Groton, NY Project Update – June 2021 1,000 -1,200 Acres of total project area expected, with 600-800 acres in Groton. Land lease acquisition process at 85%. Environmental Consultant has been hired to begin detailed research. We are minimizing impact on the most productive soils and actively managing viewshed. We are targeting a mix of forested and agricultural land and building out of sight of dense residential areas and away from major roadways. Intentional Siting Project Benefits Yellow Barn will produce enough clean energy to power over 32,000 homes, increased revenue for the towns and school districts of Groton, reduced electricity bills for town residents, and hundreds of construction jobs. CS Energy has a long history of successful projects which benefit communities and the planet alike. Yellow Barn represents millions of dollars in local investment, and stable long-term revenues for local landowners. The Bottom Line Building a Cleaner Future Yellow Barn Solar Meeting with Community Members – Per ORES Pre-Application Procedure June, 2023 2023 Introduce CS Energy Present project information Provide overview of 94-c Regulations Review the next steps in the 94-c permitting application process for Yellow Barn Solar Fulfill the 94-c “Meeting with Community Members” meeting requirements Purpose Of Meeting Company Overview Building a Cleaner Future Our company’s vision is based on the following principles: Safety Quality Integrity Collaboration Execution Expertise Diversity C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 5 Company Overview •Industry leading energy Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) Firm •18+ years of experience •Active in all major energy markets in the US •Geographically diverse – constructed projects in 19 states •Pipeline of $750 million of projects across 8 states •1.5 GW+ solar capacity installed to date •300 MWh energy storage built/under construction •CS Energy successfully developed and constructed the first utility scale solar project to be operational in the state of New York in 2021 – Branscomb Solar •CS Energy has been awarded 140 MWac through previous NYSERDA RFP’s •CS Energy was awarded 270 MWac through the 2021 NYSERDA RFP Roof-Top, 23 Tracker, 280 Landfill, 216 Car-Port, 38 Ground-Mount, 927 C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 6 Company Leadership Matthew Skidmore Chief Executive Officer Eric Millard Chief Commercial Officer Diana Palazzi Mery Chief Financial Officer Paul Force Executive Vice President Lisa Delsante Chief Legal Officer Kevin Magayah Executive Vice President Of Business Development C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 7 Meet the Development Team! Mitch Quine Vice President, Project Development Sage Ezell Project Development Manager Evan Callahan Project Developer Greg Reiss Senior Project Developer Zach Grumbach Project Developer New York State Energy Research & Development Authority Building a Cleaner Future C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 9 NYSERDA Large Scale Renewable Program 2016 Clean Energy Standard 70% Clean Energy Goal NYSERDA – Annual Competitive Solicitation CS Energy is constructing 7 large- scale projects that we developed that won awards through this solicitation process Yellow Barn Received award from the 2021 RFP Above map indicates 2021 NYSERDA RFP recipients Yellow Barn Solar: Project Overview Building a Cleaner Future C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 11 Yellow Barn Solar Project Overview •Project Information o Nameplate Capacity: 160 MW ac o Project Footprint: Approximately 800 fenced acres of agriculture, forest and scrub land o Expected Commercial Operation Date: late 2025 - 2026 •Project Location o Located between the Towns of Lansing and Groton, just north of the Dryden border o Project is located entirely in the Residential Agriculture district(s) o Approximately 80% of project in Groton, 20% in Lansing o Interconnection in Lansing along Van Ostrand Rd •System Information o Single axis tracker system with bifacial panels o Interconnection at existing 115 kV transmission line between Etna and Cayuga substations o Over 100 construction jobs •System Benefits o Enough clean energy to power 35,000 homes o Reduction of approximately 113 metric tons of CO2 per year C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 12 Yellow Barn Solar Economic Benefit •Taxation o The project is estimated to require approximately $200 million in capital investment o Approximately $16 million is currently estimated in tax revenue over the projects initial 20 years of operation This revenue will be allocated to Lansing, Groton, Tompkins County and the Lansing Central and Groton Central School Districts •Jobs o Over 100 jobs throughout construction period o Several full-time jobs paying a living wage throughout the project life o Boost to local economy •Other Economic Benefits o Host Community Agreements with Towns of Lansing and Groton o $500/MW annual electric utility bill credit for residential rate payers for the first 10 years of the project This will result in a reduction in the utility bills of local rate payers, amounting to $800,000 in bill reductions over 10 years C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 13 Yellow Barn Solar Expected Project Timeline Development Period • Land control • Environmental assessment • Thoughtful system design 94-c Application Submission and Review • Target Application submission September 2023 • 12-16 month review process Target Construction Start Estimated Construction Completion & COD 2020 – 2022 2022/2023 – 2024 Late 2024 – Early 2025 Late 2025 - 2026 C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 14 Draft Project Layout Project Boundaries Interconnection Transmission Line Lansing/Groton Town Line C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 15 General Array Locations Interconnection Transmission Line Lansing/Groton Town Line Project Area o Arrays indicated in green – showing all potential panel locations o Approximate transmission easement path indicated in red o Substation shown in yellow in the Southwest corner of Project C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 16 Let’s Connect! •Connecting with the Yellow Barn Solar community o We want to hear how we can best connect with you about the Project and address any questions you may have. o Please feel free to reach out to us via: Email: Yellowbarnsolar@CSEnergy.com Phone: Mitch Quine, Vice President, Project Development (732) 266-4255 Project Website: YellowBarn-Solar.com ORES Overview Building a Cleaner Future C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 18 ORES Permit Requirements In 2020, the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) published comprehensive rules and regulations governing large scale renewable energy projects in the state Yellow Barn is anticipating permit application submission to ORES in September 2023. The target application submission date is tentatively set for September 15th, 2023. All large-scale renewable energy projects must submit a permit application to ORES for review and approval The permit application and applicable studies will be reviewed by ORES, along with NYSDEC, NYSHPO and other applicable state and federal agencies The application review process takes approximately 12-16 months from submission to receipt of final permit C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 19 ORES Studies The ORES process is comprehensive and requires various environmental and geographic studies for permit submission The ORES permit application is made up of 25 exhibits and includes but is not limited to studies and assessments of the following: Noise * Wetlands + Endangered and threatened species + Archeologically sensitive areas * Economic impacts * Viewshed * Glare * Water resources & aquation ecology * Agricultural resources * Geotechnical (subsurface) * Ecological resources + Transportation and traffic * Effects on communication systems * Local laws + Site restoration & decommissioning * * indicates studies that are underway + indicates studies that are complete C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 20 Additional ORES Permit Process Requirements Beyond the required studies, the ORES permit process also includes various substantive requirements that CS must adhere to These additional requirements of the ORES process include but are not limited to: Minimum setbacks o 94-c regulations have minimum setbacks from participating and non-participating property lines, roads, and non-participating occupies residences. Yellow Barn will adhere to the more restrictive local law setbacks, per each Town’s solar law. Noise limits o There are maximum noise limits for sensitive requirements which will be analyzed through multiple noise studies required to assess the level of noise throughout the construction and operation periods for the project. Further information on this is available in a layer slide. Viewshed Mitigation o A visual impact assessment, a visual contrast evaluation, and a visual impacts minimization and mitigation plan, as well as planting, landscaping, and lighting plans are all required to identify and address potential viewshed issues. Security and safety o A Site Security Plan and a Safety Response Plan are required, which local emergency response officials will have a role in developing the plan and will provide feedback on once drafted. Trainings will be carried out for local emergency response officials. Agricultural resource protections o An Agricultural Plan, consistent with the NYSDAM Guidelines, to avoid, minimize or mitigate impacts to ag lands is required, along with a Remediation Plan to address damages to surface or subsurface drainage. Site restoration and decommissioning o A Decommissioning and Site Restoration Plan is required which will be financially secured by a letter of credit or bond by the Project Owner for the benefit of the Towns. C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 21 Viewshed Assessment Capacity Location Technology Interconnection COD Several viewshed studies are currently underway on the site to ensure that all viewshed impacts are effectively identified and appropriately addressed Viewshed o A visual impact assessment is currently underway on the project site. This assessment will determine the extent and assess the significance of project visibility This will include a study of the facility visibility within two miles of the facility o A visual contrast evaluation will also be performed which will demonstrate the post-construction appearance of the facility o A visual impacts minimization and mitigation plan will be prepared which will include: Proposed screening Visual offsets Lighting plans Planting plans which requires the hiring of a qualified landscape architect, arborist or ecologist who will be retained for two years to inspect the installation and ensure plants are healthy and replace any that require replacement Other mitigation strategies to minimize viewshed impacts from the project C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 22 Noise Assessments Capacity Location Technology Interconnection COD A noise study will be conducted to assess the noise impacts of construction and operation of the facility to ensure it will comply with maximum sound requirements Noise o Noise levels cannot exceed: 45 dBA at any non-participating residence 55 dBA at any participating residence 40 dBA at any non-participating residence from the collector substation equipment 55 dBA average sound level from the facility at non-participating property lines o The study will be conducted using computer noise modeling software o Sound levels in the Project Area will be studied to determine existing sound levels to effectively assess potential noise level increases from the facilities operation 45 dBA Solar max noise limit at non- participating residence *https://www.pca.state.mn.us/ C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 23 ORES 94-c Consultations Permitted Zones Location Technology Interconnection COD Meeting required a minimum of 60 days prior to application submission. This meeting took place on November 15 th, 2022. 900-1.3(a): Consultation with Local Agencies *You Are Here!* Required a minimum of 60 days prior to application submission and after the consultation with local agencies, anyone within 1 mile of project will be notified of meeting 900-1.3(b): Meeting with Community Members Requires consultation with State and local planning officials to determine all publicly known proposed land uses within the study area. 900-2.4(i) Exhibit 3: Location of Facilities and Surrounding Land Uses Requires applicant to provide the Site Security Plan and the Safety Response Plan for review and comment to the NYS Division of Homeland Security and local Emergency Services 900-2.7(d) Exhibit 6: Public Health, Safety and Security Requires consultation with municipal planning representatives to select important or representative viewpoints, based on criterion listed in this subsection. Currently underway. 900-2.9(b)(4) Exhibit 8: Visual Impacts Requires consultation with local historic preservation groups and federal/state-recognized Indian Nations to identify sites or structures listed or eligibile for listing in the State or National Register of Historic Places. Currently underway. 900-2.10(b) Exhibit 9: Cultural Resources Identification of the public roadways in the vicinity of the facility, as determined through the consultation with local agencies 900-2.17(b) Exhibit 16: Effect on Transportation Requires an estimate of costs incurred by public works of the municipalities through consultation with affected municipalities; an estimate of incremental school district operating and infrastructure costs due to the construction and operation of the facility through consultation with the affected school districts; and an analysis of whether contingency plans to be implemented in response to emergencies can be fulfilled through existing local emergency response capacity and any deficiencies through consultation with the affected local response organizations. Currently underway. 900-2.19(d), (e), & (i) Exhibit 18: Socioeconomic Effects Requires consultation with municipal highway officials, ORES, NYSDEC, NYSDOT and local Town Supervisors to determine the final haul routes for materials transported on site for construction 900-10.2(e)(8)(i): Pre-Construction Compliance Filings Several consultations are required through the ORES process to ensure that all necessary stakeholders are contacted and included in the development of the permit application: C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 24 94-c Schedule Overview Application development, consultations, studies and project design *You are here!* Application submission *Target submission date 9/15/2023 Intervenor funding application – within 30 days of application Review of application completeness within 60 days ORES issues draft permit conditions within 60 days Public comment period/municipal statement of compliance lasting at least 60 days ORES issues determination Hearings – if required Recommended decision and hearing report Final determination - 1 year after completeness Compliance Construction Q2 2024 – 2024Q4 2023 – Q1 2024Q2 2023 – Q3 2023 Late 2024 – Early 2025 C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 25 Intervenor Funds Intervenor Funds Access Overview A statement on the grounds for accessing the community intervenor funds Interconnection COD Accessing Intervenor Funds Intervenor funding will be available to host municipalities or local community members in the amount of $160,000. Potential intervenors must follow specific steps to access the funds which are in the 94-c ORES regulations in section 900-5. 75% of the funds are reserved for municipal entities Local agency and community intervenors seeking funds must submit requests to ORES within 30 days of the application filing Within 30 days following the deadline for requests, funds will be awarded Requests must follow the requirements in subsection (h) of section 900-5 o See handout for additional details on intervenor funds. o Instructions on how to submit a request for intervenor funds can also be found on the ORES website: ores.ny/gov Amount of funds being sought Details about the intended use of the funds, including studies or services that applicant intends to have conducted C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 26 Municipality Requirements Building a Cleaner Future C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 27 Applicable Town Laws CS Energy and their legal counsel have reviewed Lansing and Groton Town laws to assess relevance and applicability to the Yellow Barn Solar project Relevant town laws: Lansing Local Law #3 (2020) – Solar Law Lansing Land Use Ordinance (2015) Lansing Flood Damage Prevention Law Groton Land Use Code Around Solar (2018) Groton Land Use Code (2015) C O N F I D E N T I A LBuilding a Cleaner Future 28 Project Adjustments for Local Compliance Capacity Location Technology Interconnection COD The Yellow Barn Solar project design has been modified to comply with all local laws – beyond the state requirements, and will comply with all state requirements that are beyond local law: Lansing: o All project components will be located 60 feet from the center line of roads ORES requires a 50-foot setback from roads o All project components will be located 100 feet from perennial streams and 50 feet from intermittent streams ORES does not require setbacks from streams The project will not be sited on slopes greater than 15% ORES does not have any slope restrictions ORES: o The project will be setback a minimum of 50 feet from unoccupied parcels o The project will be setback a minimum of 100 feet from occupied parcels Yellow Barn will comply with all substantive provisions of applicable town laws 2 0 4 5 L I N C O L N H I G H W A Y E D I S O N , N J 0 8 8 1 7 P H O N E :7 3 2 . 2 6 6 . 4 2 5 5 E M A I L :Y e l l o w B a r n S o l a r @ c s e n e r g y . c o m Y e l l o w B a r n - S o l a r . c o m C O N T A C T U S : M i t c h Q u i n e , V i c e P r e s i d e n t , P r o j e c t D e v e l o p m e n t Subpart 900-5 §900-5.1 Local Agency Account Below are the 900-5.1 requirements, which must be followed to effectively secure intervenor funds. (a) Local agencies and potential community intervenors seeking funds from the local agency account shall submit a request to the Office (ORES), as set forth in subdivision (h) (listed below), within thirty (30) days after the date on which a siting permit application has been filed by the applicant pursuant to section 900 -1.6 of this Part. *Notice of the filing of the application will be provided to all signed up to the Project Newsletter, in the local newspaper, and to all residents within 1 mile of the facility (h) Each request for funds from the local agency account shall be completed on an ORES-approved form and contain: (1) A statement that the facility falls within the local agency’s jurisdiction or that a permit or approval from the local agency would have been required in the absence of Section 94-c of the Executive Law; (2) For individual potential community intervenors, a statement of the number of persons and the nature of the interests the requesting person represents, and proof of residency (e.g., a New York State driver’s license, permit or non-driver identification card, a recent bank statement, a recent pay stub or a recent utility bill); (3) for any non-profit organization potential community intervenors, a statement of a concrete and localized interest that may be affected by a proposed facility and that such interest has a significant nexus to its mission; (4) A statement of the availability of funds from the resources of the local agency or potential community intervenor and of the efforts that have been made to obtain such funds; (5) The amount of funds being sought; (6) To the extent possible, the name and qualifications of each expert to be employed, or at a minimum, a statement of the necessary professional qualifications; (7) If known, the name of any other local agency, potential community intervenor or entity who may, or is intending to, employ such expert; (8) A detailed statement of the services to be provided by expert witnesses, consultants, attorneys, or others (and the basis for the fees requested), including hourly fee, wage rate, and expenses, specifying how such services and expenses will contribute to the compilation of a complete record as to the appropriateness of the site and facility; (9) If a study is to be performed, a description of the purpose, methodology and timing of the study, including a statement of the rationale supporting the methodology and timing proposed, including a detailed justification for any proposed methodology that is new or original explaining why pre-existing methodologies are insufficient or inappropriate; (10) A copy of any contract or agreement or proposed contract or agreement with each expert witness, consultant or other person; and (11) A completed authorization form for electronic Automated Clearing House payment, or payment instructions for payments by check (f) At the time vouchers are submitted or as otherwise required by the Office, any local agency or potential community intervenor receiving an award of funds shall submit to the Office a report: (1) Detailing an accounting of the monies that have been spent; and (2) Showing: (i) The results of any studies and a description of any activities conducted using such funds; and (ii) Whether the purpose for which the funds were awarded has been achieved; if the purpose for which the funds were awarded has not been achieved, whether reasonable progress toward the goal for which the funds were awarded is being achieved; and if applicable, why further expenditures are warranted. NOTE: The request for intervenor funds must be made to the Office of Renewable Energy Siting, at the Albany, New York office, Attention: Request for Local Agency Account Funding The full Subpart 900-5 of intervenor funds requirements is available online at the Office of Renewable Energy Siting Website, under the 94-c regulations. A hardcopy of Subpart 900-5 can be provided to any interested party, on request, from CS Energy, through the email: YorkRun-Solar.com, or by calling (617) 429-5212