News

Coxsackie, NY— Hecate Energy, developers of the 50-megawatt Greene County Solar Facility (Hecate Greene), announced today that they are offering a $4-6 million payment package to the community, local governments and school district that will host the new solar farm.

“This funding, provided over the life of the project, would be approximately 10 times the property tax revenues currently generated by the land on which the solar farm would be located. These additional revenues can fund local services, community projects, or tax relief – whatever the community decides,” said Gabe Wapner, Hecate Energy’s Director of Development.

Hecate Energy also proposed building a community solar project for the direct benefit of the Coxsackie residents as a potential use for a portion of the community benefit funds. “All the energy from the community solar project, which could be built on the American Valve brownfield site, would be provided free of charge to Coxsackie electricity consumers,” Wapner explained.

In addition to the payments to local governments and the school district, Hecate Greene will provide dedicated revenue to the local fire department, ambulance squad and library.

“Funding for first responders and the local library would be above and beyond the host community payments,” Wapner said.

Hecate Energy’s $50 million investment will be a significant economic stimulus in Coxsackie, creating about 200 jobs during the permitting and construction phase as local firms and individuals are engaged for engineering, surveying, site preparation and construction.

“Since February, when we first presented the proposed solar farm at our informational open house, we have been working with community stakeholders to refine and revise the project. As a result, we cut the project’s proposed land use by 55 percent and created larger buffer zones between the solar farm and its neighbors, preserving a significant portion of land for agricultural use. In fact, solar panels will use only about one-third of the farm’s more than 1,200 acres,” Wapner noted.

Proposed to be built on 400 acres in the southeast quadrant of the Town on Coxsackie, Greene County Solar will provide 50 megawatts of emission-free, renewable, electric generating capacity. It is expected to produce about 93,000 megawatt-hours of electricity per year—enough to supply about 13,000 average homes. 

The process for siting and permitting Greene County Solar is governed by Article 10 of the New York State Public Service Law, which provides for the review of new or modified electric generating facilities by the Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment.

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About the Greene County Solar Facility

The Greene County Solar Facility (Hecate Greene) is a proposed 50-megawatt photovoltaic (PV) solar facility utilizing photovoltaic panels mounted on low profile racking structures. The project is located in the southeastern quadrant of the Town of Coxsackie, NY, approximately 25 miles south of Albany. Once operational, the project is expected to produce about 93,000 megawatt-hours of electricity per year—enough to supply about 13,000 average New York homes.

About Hecate Energy

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with offices in California, Connecticut, Ohio, and Tennessee. Hecate Energy is a developer of solar power plants, wind-power plants, and energy storage solutions. Founded in 2012 by a team of energy industry veterans who have worked together for more than 20 years, Hecate Energy’s team members have developed and contracted over 1,000 megawatts of solar projects across the United States, including several projects in New York and the Northeastern United States.

Contact:  Gabe Wapner (518) 788-7337