Letter to ORES: Show lawmakers what projects are “currently under review, pending approval, or anticipated for approval…”
From the Office of NY State Senator Tom O’Mara,
Albany, N.Y.-State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C-Big Flats) and members of the Senate Republican Conference today sent a letter to the state’s Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES) requesting comprehensive information on wind, solar, battery energy storage and other renewable energy projects “currently under review, pending approval, or anticipated for approval…particularly those with the potential to affect protected lands, environmentally sensitive areas, and regulated agricultural resources across New York State.”
The Senate Republican Conference letter to ORES reads, in part, “We welcome this opportunity to follow up on a recent request from our colleagues in the Assembly Republican conference, as well as on behalf of residents, local governments, and environmental stakeholders throughout the regions we represent and across the state, to raise similar concerns regarding project approvals that appear to conflict with established environmental standards, particularly in relation to the siting of solar facilities on productive farmland and development near sensitive wildlife habitats… Given the breadth of ORES authority, including its ability to supersede determinations made by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) as well as local zoning and land-use laws, it is essential that its actions reflect a high standard of transparency, consistency, and adherence to established environmental protections and home rule doctrines.”
“We have to be realistic about harvesting green energy and the environmental impacts it can have. The Senate GOP has long stood for an all-of-the-above approach to powering New York State, and advocates for doing so responsibly. But, we have serious concerns when an unelected agency fast tracks the eradication of farmland, grasslands, forests, and other protected areas to make way for solar farms with little to no oversight. ORES needs to be held accountable, and given guardrails to prevent the future destruction of New York’s natural beauty and agriculture,” stated Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt.
“Albany Democrats have given ORES broad authority over the siting of wind, solar, and other renewable energy projects throughout New York State. This authority includes the power to overrule local decision-making, which has raised serious concerns among local residents, local governments, and local environmental stakeholders, particularly in rural, upstate New York regions where many of these projects are being sited. We believe it’s critically important that ORES is fully accountable and transparent, and that its actions remain fully in line with strict environmental standards, sensitive to local concerns, and don’t put at risk prime agricultural land and other natural resources,” stated Senator Tom O’Mara, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee.
ORES was created under the “Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act” (CLCPA), approved by Democrats in 2019, to oversee the review and approval of renewable energy projects statewide. In 2024, Hochul and the Democrat-led Legislature enacted a new law known as the “Renewable Action through Project Interconnection and Deployment (RAPID) Act” authorizing ORES to effectively streamline the siting permit review process. The stated goal of the RAPID Act was to “balance transparency with environmental protection and the need for fast decision making, while continuing to be responsive to community feedback.” Late last year, ORES issued revised regulations “for the environmental review, permitting, and siting of major renewable energy facilities and major electric transmission facilities.”
When the RAPID Act was first approved, Senate and Assembly Republicans voiced their opposition that the new, fast-tracked, state-dictated process would overrule local zoning, unreasonably expand eminent domain, jeopardize natural resources and farmland, and undermine local control and the will of local residents and communities. Those concerns have been shared by many local leaders and continue to be raised throughout the state, particularly over the loss of prime agricultural land to solar developers.
The Senate Republican letter concludes, “Let us be clear: this request is not intended to oppose energy development. New York State must continue to advance innovation and diversify its energy portfolio responsibly. However, these efforts must not come at the expense of the very natural and agricultural resources that our environmental laws are designed to protect, or at the will of the citizens who will live next door to these projects. Ensuring that renewable energy development proceeds in a manner consistent with environmental stewardship, transparency, and public trust is of paramount importance.”
