C+S August 2020 Vol. 6 Issue 8 (web)

Conquest, New York, will not move into production until 2023 at the earliest. The project must be transparent with the local community on the economic influ- ence in the area, along with any long-term detrimental effects. While the public will have the ability to share questions and concerns regarding the project, as it's state-funded, the local government has no voting power on the implementation. NY Renewable Energy Initiatives To better understand the breadth of these new solar projects, including Conquest, it is necessary to investigate the current sustainability initiatives in New York. Governor Andrew Cuomo is a huge sup- porter of renewable energy and has made promises to increase the sustainability of energy and economic practices since his original address. While his objectives may seem far-reach- ing, there are many signs that the rollout of green actions in the state will be swift. The governor has proposed changing over to a quicker project approval process, reducing the potential time involved in developing a solar farm from five to nine years to less than one. Solar energy in New York state only ac- counts for 1 percent of power generation. Most installations are residential, with homeowners incentivized to save money on utilities by adding solar panels to their homes. This move towards widespread adoption will have a significant impact on the electrical grid, especially in rural areas. Next Steps in Solar Development The Conquest solar farm project is still in the planning phase, and there is not a date set yet to break ground. The construction and installment of the farm will potentially

create 250 temporary jobs for the county, with three or four permanent positions set for long-termmaintenance. If the project proceeds without any major objections, the development will have a massive influence on the surrounding area for the next thirty years. Conquest is one of many large scale solar projects set for development across New York state. Developers are planning a half-dozen large- scale farms that will cover more than 1,000 acres in the Rochester-

Finger Lakes region. When installed, these advancements will have a momentous influence on the future of solar generation in New York, the United States and beyond.

EMILY FOLK is a freelance writer covering topics in green technology and sustainability. You can follow her on her blog, Conservation Folks, or Twitter @EmilySFolk for her latest updates.

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