It is a race for solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) for solar energy production businesses, and now a second solar farm applicant has asked the Rochester Planning Board for an immediate approval without fully meeting all of the board’s expectations before rendering a decision.
Request denied.
SRECs are tradable credits that are issued upon every 1,000 kilowatts of green energy produced and can be sold or traded; in essence, SRECs are essential to the economic viability of a solar farm.
Although the Melink Corporation had been before the Planning Board on a number of occasions with continuances ensuing from requests by the board, none of the members on February 23 were ready to grant the approval for the Snipatuit Pond Road solar energy facility, even with the board’s ability to issue a set of special conditions for the plans and construction.
For Chairman Arnold Johnson, with the bad taste still left from a previous project’s approval before issues had been put to rest, it was about avoiding setting a precedent.
“We’ve been burned two times before and we said this about any project, not just solar…” said Johnson. The board does not approve applications for special permits until the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) finished its approval of the project, he reiterated.
Also still pending for this project is appropriate language pertaining to the acquisition of 100 acres of land Melink is donating to the Town of Rochester. The town wants assurance that it will be accessible for passive recreational use and that logging roads in the woods would be accessible and maintainable by the Town.
“They (NHESP) are obviously concerned with preserving habitat, and we’re (the town) concerned with the passive recreational use,” said Town Counsel Blair Bailey. “There’s a big issue still hanging out there as far as the town is concerned. I just want to see it in black and white.”
Bailey added, “We’ve said right from the start with any project … that if it’s in the habitat area that we would hold our decision open until [completion].”
Melink’s engineering representative Evan Watson told the board that, without approval that night, the company could miss out in the application process because it must submit a package as complete as possible, including approvals from appropriate town boards.
According to Watson, the financial viability of Melink’s solar farm hinged on a speedy completion of the application package.
Johnson disagreed. He said he learned through personal research that not having a complete application does not preclude the company from filing their package tomorrow.
“It’s just not a hundred percent complete,” Johnson pointed out. “That’s not the town’s concern.”
Bailey explained how having a more complete package would bump Melink up higher on the State’s queue of projects under review, which would be of benefit to Melink.
So what is the urgency, several board members asked?
“Because [Melink doesn’t] know where they are in the queue and the impression they have from the state … is the sooner you have approval … the higher we’ll put you in this ‘under review queue’ that’s sitting out there. That’s where the sense of urgency comes from.”
The current dollar amount value for one SREC is $285, but the value is volatile and trends toward dropping annually, Bailey explained.
Johnson also noticed a couple of things that still needed to be addressed in the draft decision he held in his hand – details that had changed since it was written.
“Here we are now, at what you would like to call the finish line,” said board member Gary Florindo, “and we’re looking at what we really want … and need and it’s really not our fault.”
Watson replied, saying it was his impression that the board looked favorably on the project, after hammering through the details for weeks.
“I think that we’ve come to a place in the permitting process where we didn’t have to move mountains,” said Watson to the board.
But, why change a precedent, asked board member Michael Murphy.
“Like you said,” Murphy motioned to Johnson, “we’ve been burned twice. Get everything done, come see us, and we’ll take care of it.”
Bailey said he thought the project could be wrapped up at the next meeting.
“I think you can get your ducks in a row and get everything accomplished,” Florindo said to Watson.
One resident, John Hall, seated in the audience, asked the board why Town Meeting didn’t have the chance to approve the land acquisition from Melink. What about precedent in that regard?
“Are we going to change that because all three selectmen are [on board]?” asked Hall. “The town should probably vote in accepting that…”
Bailey agreed with Hall, saying, “That’s always been the town’s procedure, but it doesn’t have to be.”
“But we’re talking about precedent here.”
The matter was continued for the next meeting.
Just before adjourning, Planning Board member Ben Bailey spoke to Johnson’s comment that the board’s agenda will be light without any further solar farms in the near future.
“It has been suggested that we can no longer call ourselves the Planning Board,” Ben Bailey said. “We have to call ourselves the ‘Solar Panel.’”
In other matters, for Renewable Generation Energy, LLC, applicant for the solar farm slated for New Bedford Road in the center of town, was continued until March 8 at the applicant’s request.
The next meeting of the Rochester Planning Board is scheduled for March 8 at 7:00 pm, back over at the Rochester Town Hall.
By Jean Perry
