Construction Begins Next Week

On New Laurens Solar Farm

By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

LAURENS – With plans to bring solar energy to 400 households throughout Otsego and the surrounding counties, construction on the new 13-acre community solar farm on Pool Brook Road north of this village is slated to begin next week.

“Eighty percent of the population nationwide cannot install solar panels because of cost, their roof is to old or their roof doesn’t face the right way,” said Solstice spokesperson Andrew Alayza. “Community solar projects, in a centralized location, produce electricity on behalf of the subscribers, sends it to NYSEG, and the customer gets those credits on their electric bill.”

Delaware River Solar is building the project in partnership with Solstice on a former hay farm just north of the Village of Laurens. Contracts for customers are year-to-year, and the panels are expected to last as long as 40 years, after which time the panels could be taken down, recycled and the land returned to flat use for farming and development.