Benefits to the town
Everyone who lives in the Town of Rochester will benefit from the community solar project.
Twenty years of guaranteed town income to help offset taxes
The Town is poised to receive $112,000 rental income each year through the lease of two Town-owned land parcels which will be developed into community solar farms.
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Borrego will pay the Town of Rochester $10,000 per megawatt DC installed, with 1% annual increase for each of the next 20 years. With 5.6 megawatt DC capacity at each solar site, that amounts to about $56,000 per year—rising at 1% per year.
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The Town would receive $1,233,064.22 lease revenue from each solar farm.
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Over the term of the 20-year lease, the two solar farms would jointly generate $2.46 MM revenue for the Town.
Jobs and new business for local residents
The Town's contract requires, that to the extent possible, local contractors be hired to clear trees, clear land, landscape and fence the solar sites. Borrego prioritizes sourcing materials locally and utilizing the services of local businesses.
Educational programs for our schools
Borrego has committed to reach out to the Rondout Valley School System to explore fun opportunities for school children of all ages to learn how the Town of Rochester solar farms generate renewable energy and benefit our environment.
Lower electric bills for solar community members
The Town's contract calls for Borrego to offer solar energy from its Rochester facilities to Rochester residential users at a price about 10% below what it will offer that electricity to other customers. Note that there is a slightly complicated formula involved that depends upon the level of rebates that Borrego secures from the State—the discounted price is not simply 10% below the going Central Hudson price.
Environmental benefits for our community
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Click on image to see examples of pollinators that will benefit from new grassland habitats.
The Town of Rochester solar sites will be used to establish over 54 acres of new grassland habitat for endangered and native pollinators.
Flowering meadows, seeded with bee/butterfly/humming bird mix, will be planted outside of the array in the areas cleared for the solar farms. The new grassland habitat will benefit endangered species like the Karner Blue butterfly, honey bees, monarch butterfly, and the yellow-faced bee. Hummingbirds and all other native pollinators will benefit too!
The Town's new solar meadows will help increase biodiversity while also producing clean and renewable power.
The fence surrounding the solar sites will have a wildlife gap help cultivate grassland species biodiversity.