Solar farms

Following the third fire at a battery energy storage facility in as many months in New York this summer, Gov. Kathy Hochul last week announced the creation of a state inter-agency working group tasked with ensuring the safety of battery energy storage systems across New York.

The Riverhead Town Board received support from residents last night on its plan to extend the moratorium on applications for developing new solar energy production facilities for another year.

The Riverhead Town Board is considering extending the town’s year-long moratorium on commercial solar energy project applications. The moratorium is set to expire in October.

Th negative declaration issued to the 22.9 MW solar facility proposal should remain as is, three members of the town board said in a letter to the planning board dated March 30. The letter prompted criticism from the two members who refused to sign it.

The town is faced with a gnarly decision, but everything about this application has been gnarly right for the beginning. Here's why.

Most of the comments, questions and discussion that took place during the hearing, which lasted more than an hour and forty minutes, was among town board members, town staff and representatives of the applicant.

The Riverhead Town Board Tuesday shelved a proposed moratorium on new commercial solar energy facilities in Calverton.

Riverhead Town is considering a 12-month moratorium on new commercial solar energy production facilities. The moratorium would not affect the two applications for major solar production facilities currently pending for some 488 acres of land in Calverton.

A proposal for a new 22.9 megawatt solar facility in Calverton will go forward without further environmental review.

A board majority that last week sought to move the L.I. Solar Generation application forward without additional environmental review has crumbled, as Councilman Tim Hubbard has decided 'enough is enough' for solar facilities in Riverhead.