Solar plan under development for Love Canal chemical site

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The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is developing a solar power project adjacent to the “Love Canal” landfill as part of its Build-Ready program. The site, originally a chemical dump from the early 1900s, later saw homes built over it, leading to upwelling of pollution into basements and backyards.

According to local reporting by Rick Pfeiffer of the Niagara Gazette, the Niagara Falls City Council is considering a local board recommendation for zoning changes to the 16 acres of city-owned land. NYSERDA plans to develop this land into the Vincent Welch Build-Ready Solar project.

While no documents specify the exact size of the solar power project, a 16-acre facility can generally accommodate between three and four megawatts of solar panels. This would typically require a 2 MW to 3 MW (ac) grid connection and cost an estimated $5 to $8 million.

During town meetings, several residents voiced concerns about the project. Issues raised included the impact on wildlife in the 30-acre parcel, as half of it would be cleared for solar panels, the potential noise from the site’s inverters and transformers, and how the solar power system might interact with the pollution beneath the soil. One individual claimed that solar panels emit free radicals that could cause cancer in individuals with weakened immune systems, and said they would bring an article as proof to the next meeting.

In general, brownfields and landfills are considered some of the best locations to deploy solar power plants.

NYSERDA stated that its next step is to assess the interconnection viability of the site with local utility company National Grid. Using National Grid’s System Data Portal’s PV Hosting Capacity map, the power lines surrounding the plot of land–located at the center of the image below–show minimal available capacity at 0.54 MWac or less. However, multiple substations near the project area have available capacity, and upgrading the short distance of power lines between the site and one of these substations could enable a financially viable interconnection for a 2 MW to 3 MW project.

New York State and NYSERDA developed the Build-Ready program to strategically advance solar projects on underutilized land. Ideal sites for solar development include parking lots, airports, brownfields, landfills, former industrial sites, and other locations that are difficult to repurpose. Ongoing Build-Ready projects include a former mine, a landfill, an airport, and several parking lots.

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