Three Republican state senators used a Syracuse energy roundtable Tuesday to question how New York approves large solar projects and whether towns have enough say before construction begins, according to a news release from Tom O'Mara's office forwarded to the newsroom. State senators Pam Helming, Tom O'Mara and Mark Walczyk focused on the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission.
The event was the first in a planned series of regional energy discussions by Senate Republicans. The senators said they want to hear from local stakeholders about electricity costs, reliability and the effects of renewable-energy projects on nearby communities.
Local control and a Rush project
The senators argued that the state siting office has too much authority over where large wind and solar projects are built. O'Mara said the process can override local decisions and should be more transparent and responsive to environmental concerns, particularly in rural areas where projects may affect farmland and other resources.
Helming described meeting a homeowner who said solar panels were going up near his home as part of a 1,400-acre project. She said the town did not decide whether the project belonged there, and she questioned how much influence residents have when the state makes the siting decision. The release did not identify that project or provide the homeowner's account directly.
Helming also pointed to Horseshoe Solar in the town of Rush, Monroe County. She said drilling for the project punctured an aquifer and left families who rely on spring water without their regular supply. According to Helming, those residents are still waiting for the company to provide a permanent alternative water source. The release did not include a response from the developer or the state siting office, so those claims remain attributed to the senator.
The Rush example gives the statewide siting debate a specific Monroe County focus. The release did not announce a change to Horseshoe Solar's permit or construction status.
What the senators want changed
Helming said Senate Republicans have proposed an energy plan that would restore more local decision-making, protect farmland and forests, and place greater weight on affordability and grid reliability. The release did not identify a specific bill, new vote or timetable for changing the siting process.
O'Mara called for closer oversight of the siting office and said its decisions should meet environmental standards while accounting for local concerns. Walczyk urged the state to add reliable power generation, upgrade existing infrastructure and use a wider mix of energy sources.
The senators tied those proposals to New Yorkers' utility bills, but the release did not quantify how their preferred changes would affect costs or electricity supply. Their statements reflect the Republican conference's position in an ongoing state energy-policy debate, not a decision by the Legislature or the siting office.
The conference said it plans to hold more regional roundtables. It did not give dates or locations for the next sessions in Tuesday's release.
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