By EMILIA TEASDALE
VALATIE—The Kinderhook Town Board has agreed to work with Puresky Energy to have the town’s municipal building be part of the company’s community solar program. At the board’s regular meeting on September 9, they approved two motions – that the company would be the community solar provider, pending a review of the contract by the town attorney, and that the town will sign up their buildings with the company to receive savings on their energy bill.
The Martin H. Glynn Building, where the town hall, offices and court are housed, is co-owned by the Village of Valatie and would need village approval before signing up for the program. Town Supervisor Tim Ooms said at the meeting that he would reach out to Village Mayor Frank Bevens about the community solar program.
Signing up for community solar does not mean the town will be putting solar panels on their buildings. The savings would come from a solar farm, somewhere in the National Grid service area. According to the Puresky website, “A Community Solar farm is a large solar power plant, whose electricity is shared with the local community. Subscribers earn credits on their electricity bill each month for their portion of the solar power that is generated, reducing their overall bill.”
“Essentially, subscribing to a Community Solar farm enables you to reap the benefits of solar energy without needing to purchase and install panels on your home,” the website says.
Representatives from the company who attended the board meeting virtually, said the savings would be around “10% on-bill credits savings.” They also said that anyone can sign up and cancel at any time. The company did not say where the solar farm would be. National Grid’s territory covers much of northern New York. Only the western part of Columbia County in their territory according to a territory map, which also shows much of the coverage in the western part of the state, Long Island and Massachusetts.
“We build, own and operate community solar farms, empowering energy customers across the US with the ability to choose local, affordable, clean energy,” the company’s website says. The presentation to the board said that currently the company will have 24 active projects in the state by the end of 2024 and 5,000-plus subscribers.
Board members had several questions for the representatives about the savings, the life of the contract (25 years), the solar farms (which will not be in the town) and the billing (which will be part of your National Grid bill).
In New York, a municipality is entitled to grant money if they sign up 50 residents, and more funds if they sign up 100, through NYSERDA’s (The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) Clean Communities program. Municipalities can earn points for clean energy projects that can then get them grants. According to Puresky, there is a “$10,000-$20,000 in action grant amount available.” The company talked about marketing the program to residents with the town. The presentation from Puresky is currently on the town’s website at https://www.kinderhook-ny.gov
The town’s Climate Smart Task Force vetted the company and brought them to the board. Members of the committee were at the meeting to help answer and ask questions.
This is not the first time the board has discussed joining a community solar plan. In 2022, the Town Board passed a motion to support the community solar campaign that was approved by the county Board of Supervisors. At that time the town planned to piggyback off of the county plan to offer solar energy to residents. The Board of Supervisors approved a resolution in February of 2022 to enter into an agreement with Astral Power (which became Neighborhood Sun) and Nexamp “to jointly promote offers to residents, businesses, and government and non-governmental organizations to subscribe to offset their electric consumption with solar energy for existing and developing solar projects throughout New York State.”
As for this new plan, if residents in the town sign up with Puresky Energy it would mean that the town receives the points from the state for the grant funds.
Some grant funds the town has already received for clean energy programs will go toward a solar panel project on the highway garage. At the meeting, the board approved an agreement with NYSERDA for that project.
Also at the meeting:
*The board is hosting a fall festival on September 27 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Volunteer Park, on State Farm Road, with music, food trucks, bouncy houses and vendors. There will also be a free movie, “Hocus, Pocus” starting at dusk. Information is on the town’s website
*The board agreed to keep the Meals-on-Wheels drivers’ mileage reimbursement at the business rate of 67 cents per mile and not decrease it to the charitable amount of 14 cents. The drivers are volunteers for the program
*The board plans to discuss fees for use of the pavilion and facilities at the town owned Volunteer Park once they have more information about the costs to host events there
*The town’s Comprehensive Plan Updated Committee met with three consultants. The committee is waiting on a state grant funds before they will hire one of the consultants to work with them on community outreach for the plan and they are looking into more grant opportunities
*The town’s pickleball court outside of the Martin H. Glynn Building has been painted. They are waiting for new poles to put up the nets.
The next Town Board meeting will be Tuesday, October 1 at 6:30 p.m. where the clerk will present the proposed 2025 town budget for the board to review. They plan to have budget workshops on October 7 and 21 and a pending public hearing will be scheduled for November 20.
To contact reporter Emilia Teasdale email eteasdale@columbiapaper.com
