Excelsior Energy Center has been granted approval to build and operate a 280-megawatt solar farm with 20 megawatts of battery storage in the Town of Byron in Genesee County, a siting board with New York State announced Wednesday.
The Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment’s decision followed a detailed review and robust public participation process aimed at ensuring that the solar farm meets or exceeds all siting requirements. Siting Board Chairman Rory M. Christian, in a prepared statement Wednesday, said projects such as the Excelsior solar farm and other renewable energy projects already built or currently under development are vital moves towards meeting the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act’s aggressive carbon reduction and clean energy targets for combatting climate change.
“This solar farm will benefit all New Yorkers by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, boosting clean-energy investment, creating clean-energy jobs and improving our environment,” Christian said.
The estimated cost of the project is $345 million, according to the Genesee County Economic Development Center, which said the project will create new jobs and provide long-term revenue and economic development to Genesee County and the Town of Byron.
The project is estimated to provide a $117.5 million economic impact, according to the siting board.
Published by The Buffalo News
