Cypress Creek Renewables has proposed two Community Solar farms in the Town of Ogden, located on Washington Street, north of Whittier Road, called Caspian I and Caspian II Solar. The Town Board, Planning, and Zoning Boards are currently reviewing these proposed Community Solar farms. Like many other communities across the state, this public review is regulated by the Town's local solar law. Your support for community solar will help inform this review process. 

Community Solar in New York State is relatively new. Also known as Community Distributed Generation, Community Solar Farms are becoming more accessible as more systems are developed. Subscribers can access available solar farms within the local utility district they purchase power in. This is one step in supporting the New York State goal of reaching 50% renewable energy by 2030. 

These Community Solar systems can power 600 to 1,00 local homes, small businesses and other energy users. There is no upfront cost for a customer to subscribe to a Community Solar farm, and no need for customers to invest in building or maintaining the solar farm – customers simply pay for the solar energy they use. 

The solar farms are designed with a pollinator friendly ground cover, that will be a beneficial and harmonious complement to local agriculture and the environment, and provide a habitat for pollinators. Because they are semi-permanent developments they can be decommissioned and the land can be reverted back to agricultural use when the solar farms have reached their useful life. Over the lifecycle of the solar farm, the land will benefit from years of land fallowing that will recharge the soil. 

For more information, please visit these resources: 

• Information on important benefits Community Solar provides
• CCR's Solar + Pollinator Initiative
• What is Community Solar - Information from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
• A map of all Solar Farms currently constructed in New York State
• A video of an existing solar farm, and the farmers testimony of why they went solar
• Local press on Community Solar in the area