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 claims remain Helming’s account; the release did not include water records or direct statements from affected residents.
In a statement sent to FingerLakes1.com after publication, Horseshoe Solar developer Invenergy said groundwater surfaced at three boreholes during limited pre-construction horizontal directional drilling to install underground conduits last winter. It said the construction crew and an on-site environmental monitor followed the project’s response plan, coordinated with state agencies and contained the water on-site. The company said conduit work was completed March 26.
Invenergy acknowledged that several homes near the work site experienced low water levels in the days after the initial groundwater surfacing. It said the project provided drinking water and temporary potable-water systems for each affected household, remains in contact with residents and is working with them on long-term solutions. The company said all households continue to have access to a reliable water supply; it did not say permanent replacements have been completed.
An April filing with state siting regulators says the state had authorized drilling to install conduit beneath the Genesee River and approved a method to control groundwater surfacing. The filing does not establish what caused the nearby homes’ low water levels or independently resolve Helming’s claim that drilling punctured an aquifer.
The state lists Horseshoe Solar as a permitted 180-megawatt project in Rush and Caledonia. Invenergy estimates that, once operating, it could generate electricity equivalent to the use of more than 34,000 homes and provide more than $3 million a year in local economic benefits, including more than $1 million for towns, counties and school districts. Those are company projections, not operating results.
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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