Solar farms

Three town board members have called a special meeting to adopt a resolution finding that no environmental impact statement is required for the proposed LI Solar Generation facility on Edwards Avenue in Calverton.

The offer would be more than double the per-acre price of the town's current agreement and would leave the town with about 100 more acres to develop.

Citing concerns that there's "too much, too fast" in solar facility development in Calverton, Riverhead Planning Board members want to hit the brakes.

The new solar farm would be the fifth commercial solar generating facility in the hamlet of Calverton.

“In my opinion, this is a lack of information-sharing by sPower and possible willful misrepresentation with intent to deceive,” Planning Board Chairman Stan Carey said, citing sPower's representations that an underground tie-line would be used only for the 20MW solar facility approved by the town earlier this year. Now the company wants to use the same tie-line for a new 36 MW facility being reviewed by the state.

The public informational meetings will take place today in two sessions, from 1 to 3 p.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Residence Inn located at 2012 Old Country Road, when company representatives will explain the project’s details, answer questions and receive public comment.

The exit 73 site is one of 13 locations in Suffolk identified by the New York State Department of Transportation as sites for solar facilities. The project is part of a statewide “solar highways” initiative.

PSEG, in need of capacity for connecting the large solar farms being developed in Calverton to its power grid, is talking with Riverhead officials about building a crucial substation in the EPCAL "Energy Park."