$95 million solar farm project eyed for town of Waterloo

One of the state’s largest solar farms is planned for a 450-acre site in the western end of this Seneca County town.

David Boxold, project manager for NextEra Energy Resources of Juno Beach, Fla. told the county Board of Supervisors Tuesday that the $95 million project would be built in 2022 if all the necessary approvals are obtained.

Boxold attended the board’s Public Works Committee meeting to explain the project. He also was there because the committee is considering adding solar farms to the commercial buildings category of the county code. That would include establishing a permit fee of $150 plus, $5 per kilowatt hour.

The solar arrays would be placed on a parcel bordered by Routes 5&20, Packwood Road, Border City Road and Pre-Emption Road, close to the eastern edge of the city of Geneva. The panels would generate 80 megawatts of electric power.

Boxold said the company has a contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency to purchase the electricity for addition to the grid as renewable energy. The company has an option to buy the large tract of land.