New York State solar farm corruption

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@EatenByLimestone living in NY, you must be familiar with Alexandra Fasulo? She is doing a TON of research on the courruption behind these solar farms in the state.

Here is from one of her recent posts:

"New York State has spent $88.7 billion dollars on commercial solar and wind since passing the 2019 Climate Act.
That $88.7 billion has only brought 2,200MW of dependable energy replacement generation online.
At the same time, NY took 4,400MW of dependable energy generation offline, like the Indian Point Energy Center that generated 2,000MW of energy.
If solar and wind created reliable, effective, and dependable energy, especially when we need it most in this climate (during our winters), I wouldn't have an argument here.
If that $88.7 billion bought New Yorkers so much available energy that our electric bills were a fraction of what they were last year, I wouldn't have an argument here.
The reality is that, on a quest to virtue signal our way to being "carbon neutral" as part of the idiotic 2019 Climate Act, New York has spent $88.7 billion dollars to bring HALF of the energy back online that it took OFFLINE to "save the climate."
Your electric bills haven't gone down. In fact, they've tripled since 2025. The state is now telling us we may have grid failure this summer during peak energy demand periods.
Your electric bill tripled because NY needs to get that $88.7 billion from somewhere. They get it from you. You are paying for the FAILED socialized rollout of commercial solar and wind.
From that math, NY will need another $88.7 billion to get the state back to the 4,400MW of energy generation we already had before a bunch of compromised politicians that are guzzling down foreign renewable kickbacks by the mouthful sat down in 2019 to sign one of the most destructive pieces of legislation ever forced on this state.
Along the way, we've lost hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland, forest, wetlands, and grasslands for 2,200MW of energy.
See less"
 
Oh here's another good one. Since using thousands of acres of farmland for solar farms isn't enough, the braintrust in NY now wants to start implementing floating solar farms. Yup, floating solar farms on reservoirs and lakes. Lovely.
 
Ok one watch the political rhetoric. Secondly how are solar panels worse for wildlife than traditional fossil fuels being used to produce electricity? I see claims of that constantly yet no one can actually provide any actual evidence of that.
Here's some info from Alexandra Fasulo regarding bobolinks in NY. It's only birds though, right??

"I watched some busy bobolinks at the Fort Edward Grasslands this week jump in and out of the grass, singing, claiming their nesting sites for the breeding season ahead.
As a grassland species, they need contiguous acreage and long native grasses to build their nests and continue the species.
Fragmenting grasslands leads to habitat loss for bobolinks. Our state’s own NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has given the bobolink a “Species of Special Concern” status due to their continued declining numbers.
The DEC has admitted 10 of the 11 top grassland species of concern live at the Fort Edward Grasslands. That’s why they covered the area in “Critical Endangered Species” signage.
We cannot allow our state’s own environmental body to tell us an area is so ecologically important that it carries numerous environmental designations… and then try to convince us an 1,800 solar industrial complex belongs in the middle of this area.
That is gaslighting of the most disgusting caliber. It will shatter any faith New Yorkers had in the environmental law of this state forever.
And it’ll push species like the bobolink even further towards extinction when one of the last grasslands of its kind in the northeast is fragmented.
I refuse to allow this to happen. "
 
Well i do remember people hated Indian point nuclear plant and fought like crazy for many years to close it.

It seems the real problem is (from your posted info) is that the people that awarded the funds for the solar projects were not very good at math and cost benefit analysis.

Now if an experienced business person was in charge and awarded contracts as if it were for his/her own business the projects would have been much more economically viable.

Same story as always, politicians are the best at overpaying for everything.

It's crazy how they are not controlled with their spending sprees.

I'm all for Not breathing exhaust. And am all for sensible non polluting energy makers, even if it just adds energy on the margins. Every bit helps and these are all constantly being improved.

I think We should be covering parking lots with solar before we take up productive lands where ever possible.

Airports, sports arenas, Malls, race tracks all have huge open space parking lots that should be considered before covering productive fields
 
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Well i do remember people hated Indian point nuclear plant and fought like crazy for many years to close it.

It seems the real problem is (from your posted info) is that the people that awarded the funds for the solar projects were not very good at math and cost benefit analysis.

Now if an experienced business person was in charge and awarded contracts as if it were for his/her own business the projects would have been much more economically viable.

Same story as always, politicians are the best at overpaying for everything.

It's crazy how they are not controlled with their spending sprees.

I'm all for Not breathing exhaust. And am all for sensible non polluting energy makers, even if it just adds energy on the margins. Every bit helps and these are all constantly being improved.

I think We should be covering parking lots with solar before we take up productive lands where ever possible.
I'd be fine with that, along with roofs of Walmarts, Target, Amazon distribution center, etc. There is no need to ruin farmland or just beautiful land in general that is home to wildlife.
 
This is all a compromise, all of us do our part of destruction of nature it's just a matter of how much each one does. Now throw money in the equation and away we go in both directions. Then put corrupt elected government officials in charge of spending money that isn't theirs with corporations that buy favor and here we are.
 
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Oh here's another good one. Since using thousands of acres of farmland for solar farms isn't enough, the braintrust in NY now wants to start implementing floating solar farms. Yup, floating solar farms on reservoirs and lakes. Lovely.
What is wrong with that?
 
Here's some info from Alexandra Fasulo regarding bobolinks in NY. It's only birds though, right??

"I watched some busy bobolinks at the Fort Edward Grasslands this week jump in and out of the grass, singing, claiming their nesting sites for the breeding season ahead.
As a grassland species, they need contiguous acreage and long native grasses to build their nests and continue the species.
Fragmenting grasslands leads to habitat loss for bobolinks. Our state’s own NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has given the bobolink a “Species of Special Concern” status due to their continued declining numbers.
The DEC has admitted 10 of the 11 top grassland species of concern live at the Fort Edward Grasslands. That’s why they covered the area in “Critical Endangered Species” signage.
We cannot allow our state’s own environmental body to tell us an area is so ecologically important that it carries numerous environmental designations… and then try to convince us an 1,800 solar industrial complex belongs in the middle of this area.
That is gaslighting of the most disgusting caliber. It will shatter any faith New Yorkers had in the environmental law of this state forever.
And it’ll push species like the bobolink even further towards extinction when one of the last grasslands of its kind in the northeast is fragmented.
I refuse to allow this to happen. "
You do realize the farmland being used for the solar farms you are complaining about were not tall native grasslands right? So this does not support your argument at all
 
So you can just ignore the info I would be providing?
No we would not ignore relevant information provided. But I have yet to actually find anything that supports the claim that solar farms are worse for the environment or wildlife. Thats why I asked for it
 
You do realize the farmland being used for the solar farms you are complaining about were not tall native grasslands right? So this does not support your argument at all
Ft Edward has huge tracts of native grasslands. Surrounding areas are things like corn or hay. Ft Edward is an unusual area for sure.

I spent a night banding harriers up there about 15 years ago. I have a pic somewhere holding a northern harrier.
 
Ft Edward has huge tracts of native grasslands. Surrounding areas are things like corn or hay. Ft Edward is an unusual area for sure.

I spent a night banding harriers up there about 15 years ago. I have a pic somewhere holding a northern harrier.
Yes absolutely. But what he was complaining about was converting farmland to solar farms. If anything solar farms could easily be left to turn into grassland with just some maintenance paths mowed.
 
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Dual use is good too. Seems that some crops like the semishade under solar panel arrays.
Some animals (sheep, goats?) work well too. Not sure how much money is to be made with those animals though./

I completely agree that native high-grass land should not be taken out of the native nature usage stock for solar panels. But farmland is of little ecological value. Dual use would allow for diverse and possibly more income streams for the owner of the land.
 
A dairy farmer putting solar on some of his land? Sounds like a dairy farmer who will stay in business a little longer.

And that solar field is going to smell a lot better than the dairy part. And make more money per acre.

Decades ago, folks in Norway discovered that their love of dairy was behind them having the highest heart disease risk in the world. They paid the dairy farmers to switch to growing berries, and encouraged folks to eat same. It worked. They are now far from the leader in heart attacks. If we did that here (solar and berries) we would extend the health and lives of millions.

Floating solar on reservoirs? If it pencils out, great! Out west it keeps down evaporation. Out east it keeps down algae growth.
 
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Hey everyone, watch this video. It's long. Going solar is not just about saving the climate. It's about getting FREE energy once the investment is paid.
Land use? He addresses that one too.

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It is on a privately owned dairy farm not a park
Wonder how much runoff from the dairy farm is affecting the lake? Is that also being brought up?
 
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Wonder how much runoff from the dairy farm is affecting the lake? Is that also being brought up?
They are supposed to all have runoff plans etc. But it still effects things
 
They are supposed to all have runoff plans etc. But it still effects things
Locally, this has raised nitrate levels in some wells that are as much as 3-5 miles away.
 
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This is what I mentioned above. We discussed this earlier in some thread.

 
Yes I am aware
So you basically did what I thought just ignored an article about wildlife being displaced by a solar farm because it didn't apply to my first post. There are other examples of live bald eagle nests inside the perimeter of proposed solar farms that are being ignored by state agencies. The same ones who promote conservation (DEC). Guess that doesn't matter though, again.....just birds...