Renewable Energy - Municipal Focus

municipalities & renewable energy projects New York’s Governor envisions a future where residents will be consuming half of their electricity from renewable sources by 2030. In response to this ambitious clean energy goal, plans for solar and wind energy projects have been emerging around upstate New York.

LaBella Associates helps guide municipalities through the concerns, expectations, and environmental impacts of renewable energy projects. Our work includes supporting municipalities with solar and wind ordinances and helping to review environmental impacts.

As a full-service firm, LaBella offers expertise in reviewing the environmental and engineering impacts of renewable energy projects. Our engineers are experienced in providing technical expertise to these projects and understand the engineering considerations that surround each project’s feasibility.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW All renewable energy projects require a careful evaluation of potential environmental impacts. With our intimate knowledge of upstate New York, LaBella is uniquely situated to assist your municipality in directing solar and wind energy development and safeguarding important local resources – whether through the NYS Article 10 or State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process.

LaBella offers a team of scientists, engineers, and planners who have decades of experience assisting municipalities to conduct environmental review of complex and potentially controversial projects.

Our team also offers expertise in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review of federally funded projects as well as NYS Article VII and Part 102 review of electric & gas transmission facilities.

LaBella has a long history of successfully partnering with municipalities to review renewable energy projects under SEQR and protect sensitive resources in upstate New York.

More recently, we have renewed longheld partnerships and forged new ones to scrutinize big renewable projects under the relatively new Article 10 process.

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aRTICLE 10

What exactly is Article 10?

Article 10 is a section of the New York State Public Service Law dealing with the generation of electric energy, including solar and wind energy. The Article 10 law regulates the large, utilityscale wind or solar projects that generate 25 megawatts or more of electricity.

Under Article 10, the decision to approve or disapprove the project rests primarily in the State’s hands through a “Siting Board” organized by the NYS Department of Public Service. The process is run very much like a legal proceeding and overseen by three Administrative Law Judges, almost like a trial without the court room.

No matter your level of support or opposition to a project, identifying concerns and conducting a robust review of local environmental impacts is essential. Large-scale renewable energy projects often result in a divided and fractious resident community. Navigating the unfamiliar and legally-based Article 10 process is challenging.

Local interest groups spring up, usually in opposition, and claim available state funding to make their views heard.

An experienced consultant, like LaBella Associates, working in concert with a municipality’s legal counsel, provides your community with a formidable team representing its interests.

We are familiar with the finer points, pitfalls, and opportunities that exist under Article 10.

LaBella has been involved with four Article 10 projects, two of which are in advanced stages of the approval process. Whether in favor of utility-scale projects or not, we are the partner that communities need – helping them evaluate and plan for large renewable energy projects through Article 10, as well as local ordinance & zoning modifications.

STATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY REVIEW (SEQR) LaBella is at the forefront of responsible renewable energy development; we recognize and understand the full range of community concerns.

LaBella has emerged as a leader for SEQR review of commercial solar projects: evaluating multiple solar projects, ranging from < 1 megawatt to 20+ megawatts, in communities across New York State.

Before Article 10, LaBella reviewed all renewable energy projects, both utility-scaled and residential-scaled, under SEQR â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the State law that requires environmental factors to be considered when a governmental entity is making a decision to approve, fund, or permit.

GRANTS & FINANCING New York State has one of the most aggressive renewable energy goals in the country.

To realize these goals, The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority currently offers grants to evaluate and implement energy efficiency in public buildings including, but not limited to, City/ Town/Village Halls, water/ wastewater facilities, and public safety buildings. The funding not only helps the State achieve energy goals, but it also can help to reduce municipal energy costs.

LaBella has widespread experience in identifying and obtaining grant funding through the State of New York for municipal projects.

Zoning, planning & regulatory assistance Renewable energy projects, raise a range of issues and procedures with regard to local approvals. While compliance with the substance of a local law is encouraged, local processes and decision-making could be superceded.

LaBella Associates brings an understanding of these approval processes and emphasizes respect for local standards and conditions in the construction and operation of wind or solar facilities. Payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreements are a key element of these projects, necessary to protect local jurisdictions and maintain financial assurance.

LaBella can help you prepare robust wind or solar ordinances, tailored to your communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs and preferences. We also come equipped to perform â&#x20AC;&#x153;energy zoning auditsâ&#x20AC;? on existing ordinances, including assisting with review by local boards, completing SEQR, and supporting board adoption.

An innovative step some communities take is to prepare an inventory of shovel-ready sites (including landfills and brownfield sites) for energy installations. LaBella can support your community in this endeavor to allow you to better manage site selection for projects, and help maintain protection of prime agricultural lands or important community views.

community engagement Public outreach encourages constructive dialogue. We understand how powerfully a renewable energy project can impact your community.

For that reason, we work to utilize the most effective public participation techniques based on the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preferred approaches. We can communicate â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in plain language - the nature and purpose of the project, break down the technical elements, ask for community input, and present the results of our surveys to gauge community reactions and concerns.

PERMITTING & COMPLIANCE Understanding and addressing environmental impacts is essential to the success of a renewable energy project.

During the planning phase of the process, several studies are undertaken with the goal of identifying important or sensitive resources, minimizing environmental impacts, and obtaining necessary permits.

These reviews often include wetland and stream delineations and permit applications. If wetland or stream impacts cannot be avoided, our team will work with our municipal partners and applicable environmental agencies to determine appropriate mitigation measures. We also assess the presence of and potential impacts to rare and endangered species and address permitting needs and habitat support as needed.

At LaBella Associates, our job is to create—structures, plans, ideas, results. As a nationally recognized Design Professional Corporation, that’s a given, right?

But here’s what really drives us: creating partnership between our team and our clients. So much so that we become one team, unified in the unrelenting pursuit of exceptional performance on each and every project. Reliability.

Accountability. Collaboration.

Respect. Not skills we went to school for, but innate in LaBella team members.

The pursuit of partnership is embedded in our culture—has been since our inception in 1978.

And it affects client outcomes in profound ways. It means we’re built to expertly execute projects from start to finish. That we have the talent and resources to take on any challenge. That projects are completed on time, on budget, and beyond expectations. And that we win awards— not just for our talent, but also for our ethics, employee culture, and growth.

Today, our wheelhouse is broad, with four key service offerings: Buildings, Energy, Infrastructure, and Environmental. Our staff of over 800 team members is spread over more than 20 office locations. We’re headquartered in Rochester, NY—but our impact is seen, felt, and experienced around the world.

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Visit us at www.labellapc.com to get a glimpse of some of the things we’re working on right now. But don’t let us do all the talking—tell us about your goals by calling (877) 626-6606.

877.626.6606 | www.labellapc.com