Bear Ridge SolarSolar Energy to Power 25,000 Homes

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Presenters: Kevin Kohlstedt, Marisa Scavo, Anne Waling, Jason Funk (Cypress Creek Renewables), Megan O’Keefe, John Wojcikiewicz (EDR), Nora Madonick (ASC), Steve Wilson (Young Sommer)

Date: February 13th, 2019

Meeting Agenda

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1. Project Overview

2. What is a Preliminary Scoping Statement? How do I get involved?

3. Overview of Preliminary Layout

4. Project Moving Forward

5. Q&A

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Who We AreCypress Creek is an integrated solar company with a proven track record of developing, financing, building, & operating solar projects across the country.

Nationwide, we have completed nearly 350 projects & raised $2.6 billion in capital. In New York, we have developed and built 12 projects and have 70 under development.

Cypress Creek was recognized by Solar Power World magazine for its contributions to the industry, ranking as the No. 2 overall “Top Solar Contractor,” and No. 1 Solar Developer in the U.S. for 2018.

1. GW developed figure represents projects owned, operated, and sold.2. A project is in development if it has site control and is dev-active.

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CCR in New YorkWe are helping build a thriving clean energy economy in New York and are investing over $500 million across the state and creating over 1,500 local construction jobs. To accomplish our goals, we rely upon partnerships with organizations here in your backyard. We also provide support to ambitious groups in the region.

We recently launched a three-year academic partnership with Cornell University to study to ecological and economic benefits of pollinator-friendly solar farms.

We are providing scholarships for students at HVCCseeking training and professional opportunities in the local solar industry.

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Project Overview- Scope of the Project- What does it mean to me? - What does it mean to the Town and

Community?- PILOT (Tax) Plan

Bear Ridge Solar

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Scope of the Project:

• Study Area = 2 miles surrounding the Facility Area to be studied throughout the Article 10 process

• Facility Area = 2,600-acre area most involved with the Project Area

• Facility Site = 1,000 acres assessed for panel siting

• Project Area = 900 acres hosting facility components; 750 acres in the Town of Cambria, 150 acres in the Town of Pendleton

A 100 MW, pollinator-friendly solar energy system that could power over 25,000 households with clean, independent power.

Study Area

Bear Ridge Solar

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Scope of the Project:

• Study Area = 2 miles surrounding the Facility Area to be studied throughout the Article 10 process

• Facility Area = 2,600-acre area most involved with the Project Area

• Facility Site = 1,000 acres assessed for panel siting

• Project Area = 900 acres hosting facility components; 750 acres in the Town of Cambria, 150 acres in the Town of Pendleton

A 100 MW, pollinator-friendly solar energy system that could power over 25,000 households with clean, independent power.

Facility Area

Bear Ridge Solar

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Scope of the Project:

• Study Area = 2 miles surrounding the Facility Area to be studied throughout the Article 10 process

• Facility Area = 2,600-acre area most involved with the Project Area

• Facility Site = 1,000 acres assessed for panel siting

• Project Area = 900 acres hosting facility components; 750 acres in the Town of Cambria, 150 acres in the Town of Pendleton

A 100 MW, pollinator-friendly solar energy system that could power over 25,000 households with clean, independent power.

Facility SiteFacility Site

Siting Assessment

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Property Characteristics Needed for Viable Solar Systems

EXISTING ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE: • DISTRIBUTION = <20 MW projects, adjacent 3-phase required• TRANSMISSION = >20 MW projects, 69kv+ transmission lines

required

ABSENCE OF WETLANDS, FLOODPLAINS:• CCR makes every effort to avoid impacting wetlands. Viable

sites must be relatively clear of regulated wetlands and 100-year floodplains.

RELATIVELY FLAT, CLEAR LAND:• Viable land must be flat with slopes less than 20%.

INTERESTED PROPERTY OWNERS:• Solar leases help supplement the income of property owners

while maintaining long-term local ownership

ABSENCE OF FOREST & PRIME FARMLAND, PROXIMITY TO RESIDENTIAL HOMES:• CCR takes into account siting on prime farmland, forest land,

and proximity to residential homes when choosing project locations.

Project Status Update & Schedule

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CCR submitted a final Public Involvement Program (PIP) plan on October 10th, 2018 and expects to file a Preliminary Scoping Statement on or around February 15th. A 21-day comment period occurs post-filing.

WE ARE HERE

Project Status Update & Schedule

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Completed & Planned Outreach Activities for 2018-2019

Preservation of Agricultural Land

• Niagara County Farm Bureau Meeting

• Site Tour with Ag & Markets• Cornell Coop Ext. of Niagara

County• Niagara County Ag &

Farmland Protection Board

Economic Development

• Niagara County IDA, Dept. for Economic Development

• Buffalo Niagara Partnership (Member)

• Western NY Regional Economic Development Council

Workforce Development & STEM Education

• Niagara County Community College

• University of Buffalo – One Region Forward

• PUSH Buffalo

• Starpoint Central School District

Public Involvement –General

• Solar 101 Open Houses• Community Meeting/Open

House• Community Outreach Office

(To Be Opened in March/April)• Advisory Working Group• Pop-up Meetings

Conservation

• Buffalo Niagara River Land Trust

• Western NY Land Conservancy• Western NY Environmental

Alliance• Niagara County Soil & Water

Conservation District

Municipal Offices

• Towns of Cambria and Pendleton

• State Reps – Ortt, Walter• Cambria Volunteer &

Wendelville Fire Company• Starpoint Central School

District

What does Bear Ridge Solar mean to me?

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Will my taxes go up or down? Will I get cheaper power?

No Costs to Infrastructure

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Solar development projects have little to no costs to municipal and public infrastructure and are dedicated exclusively to increasing the tax base. Alternative land uses, such as residential homes, require public improvements and typically add to the tax burden.

ALL UTILITY UPGRADES PAID FOR BY PROJECT

NO NEW OR UPGRADES TO EXISTING ROADS REQUIRED

NO NEW SEWAGE FACILITIES REQUIRED

NO INCREASED DEMAND ON EMERGENCY & EDUCATION SERVICES

1. Cost-to-Revenue ratio sourced from the One Region Forward “Business As Usual” case for Western NY: http://bap-home.net/solarize/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2017/05/1RF_A-New-Way-To-Plan-For-Buffalo-Niagara_FinalPlan_reduced.pdf

SOLAR FACILITIES RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISIONSCOST MUNICIPAL

REVENUECOST MUNICIPAL

REVENUE

PILOT payments

$0

COST-TO-REVENUE COST-TO-REVENUE1

Probable higher revenue than solar

Initial improvements and regular maintenance of

public services

+100% -36.9%

Will I receive cheaper power?

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Through two community solar installations at the project, we’ll be able to deliver rate discounts to residents in Niagara County, including Cambria and Pendleton!

• Any resident within Western New York can subscribe, or sign up for, electricity from either project. Exact discounts and how to qualify will be determined throughout the next phase of the Article 10 process – and we’d love your input!

Cardiff Solar

• 3 MW-AC

• Located along Junction Road within the Industrial district

• Generates enough electricity to power approximately 600 households

Starpoint Solar

• 5 MW-AC

• Located on Lockport Road within the R-1 district

• Generates enough electricity to power approximately 1,000 households

What does Bear Ridge Solar mean to the Town and Community?

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Will the Town benefit? Impact on Zoning and land value. Where will the power be utilized?

Picture shows 50’ setback from road.

Wolcott, NY

Watertown, NY

Poughkeepsie, NYDover Plains,

NY

Ellenville, NY

Kingston, NY

Ellenburg, NY

Montgomery, NY

Wallkill, NY

Geneva, NY

Batavia, NY

Canandaigua, NY

Local Construction Jobs

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Like all CCR projects, Bear Ridge will hire local whenever possible. In fact, we've launched a training program with NYS community colleges to help the workforce get ready for solar jobs! Already in NY, we have created 60 Full-Time Equivalent local construction jobs with our twelve operational projects. Bear Ridge Solar alone is expected to create approximately 220 Full-Time Equivalent local construction jobs.

CCR Projects in OperationNY Contractors’ Offices on CCR Projects

Local Construction Jobs

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Surveyor Electrical Contracting

Lawson Surveying & Mapping Onsite Companies, LLC

TEC Bannon Design, LLC

Passero Upstate Line & Signal Construction, Inc.

Anacker Burke Services

DEMCO

Tree Removal Structural Contracting

Deschaine Logging & Landclearing Onsite Companies, LLC

Rancourt Land Clearing Dobtol (regional office located in NY)

Black River Tree Removal Precision (regional office located in NY)

Terrasmart (regional office located in NY)

Fencing Civil Contracting

Access Anvil Onsite Companies, LLC

Ketcham Fence Rasmussen Excavation, LLC

Siena Fence Boyce Excavating

Contractors hired in NY to-date for twelve CCR construction projects.

Long-Term Maintenance JobsDue to the scale of Bear Ridge Solar, an estimated 8 long-term maintenance job opportunities will be created during the 20-40 year operational period.

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GROUNDS MAINTENANCE: • Pollinator Habitat Maintenance• Integrated Pest Management (IPM)• Management of Invasive Species• Performance Security of

Landscaping Plan

ON-SITE CONTROL HOUSE: • Control house will be located in the

substation yard• Active power monitoring and

maintenance day to day • Local technicians dispatched to manage

the control house

Payment-in-Lieu-of-Tax (PILOT) Agreement

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Under New York State tax law, renewable energy projects are typically exempt from property taxes; however, Bear Ridge Solar is committed to offering a PILOT agreement to all taxing jurisdictions.

• PILOTs provide consistent, annual payments for the first 15 years of the operational period

• The exact payments are still unknown, and require negotiation with the taxing jurisdictions

• The industry standard for transmission projects is between $2,000 and $5,000 per MW-AC per year, or, $200,000-500,000 in tax revenue every year

Community Benefit Agreements

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Bear Ridge will work with the community to build a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) that benefits the Town of Pendleton, the Town of Cambria, and the greater Niagara region. A CBA aims to deliver local improvements and community support for the project. When properly structured, CBAs legally bind Bear Ridge Solar to deliver the benefits agreed upon.

Here are some of the areas we will explore:

Workforce Development, Jobs, and Education

Public Improvements

Veterans Initiatives

Conservation

CCR Community Benefits Projects in Communities Nationwide

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Jefferson Project – Watertown, NY

CONSERVATION:• Solar + Pollinator Commitment• Cornell University Research Study

• Hudson Valley Community College• Cape Fear Community College• Mott Community College• Greenville Technical College• Kankakee Community College• STEM Education Funding (Greene County,

Dutchess County, Seneca County)

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, JOBS, AND EDUCATION: • Veteran Healing Farm

• GRID Alternatives Veteran Build Day• Workforce Development focus on

Veteran Training

VETERANS INITIATIVES:

Will Zoning and Land Value be impacted?

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LAND VALUE –

• Cypress Creek contracted Pomeroy Associates, an appraising firm in NYS, to conduct matched-pair analysis assessing property values of residential homes adjacent to solar facilities. The report concluded impacts to property value were negligible, if not positive, upon project construction. Appraisal values for Niagara County specifically will be considered and assessed leading up to the Application per Section 2.27 of the PSS.

TOWN ZONING –

• Bear Ridge Solar does not intend to apply for re-zoning to the Industrial district. Alternative options, such as overlay districts, will be discussed and proposed during the Stipulations process this upcoming year.

Where Will the Power be Utilized?

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LOCALLY GENERATED & LOCALLY CONSUMED:• All power generated by Bear Ridge Solar is

intended to stay local to Western NY.

WHO CAN RECEIVE POWER?• Utility-scale solar projects are located on

the transmission line network and service large energy consumers such as hospitals, colleges, manufacturing warehouses, and stadiums.

• Community solar projects are located on the distribution line network and service smaller consumers such as retail shops, residential homes, and fire houses.

What is a Preliminary Scoping Statement (PSS)?

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• Prior to filing an application, every developer must submit a PSS that contains:

• A description of the Facility; • Potential environmental and health impacts; • Proposed studies or programs of studies; • Measures to minimize environmental impacts; • Reasonable alternatives; • Other required state and federal permits; and • Any other information that may be relevant or required by

the Siting Board• The PSS cannot be filed until at least 150 days have passed since

filing of the Public Involvement Program (PIP) Plan and not less than 90 days before the Application is filed.

• Afterwards, a 21-day comment period for agencies, municipalities, and other interested parties ensues.

• Finally, Bear Ridge Solar provides a summary of comments and any responses 21 days after the comment period closes.

What are Intervenor Funds? Can I Access Them?

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Each developer is required to file $350 per MW for intervenor funding alongside the filing of the PSS. Bear Ridge Solar will make $35,000 available beginning on or around February 15th for public access.

REQUIREMENTS:• Only “municipal and local parties” are

eligible for receiving intervenor funding. • At least 50% of all funding is reserved

for municipalities. • Eligible “local parties” include persons

residing in a community who may be affected by the project.

• Funds can be used to pay for administrative, attorney, and/or consultants fees.

• Requests for funds must be submitted to the Presiding Examiner no later than 30 days after the issuance of notice of availability.

LOGISTICS:• A Request for Intervenor Funds form must be

completed and filed to the Presiding Examiner.

• A guide for what to include in the request, how to file to the Presiding Examiner, and where the form is located is ncluded on the Department of Public Service’s website under “Guides”: www.dps.ny.gov/SitingBoard

• A conference to consider funding will be held between 45 days and 60 days after the filing of the PSS. To receive notices for these conferences, anyone can subscribe on the case docket website at: http://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/MatterManagement/CaseMaster.aspx?Mattercaseno=18-F-0338

Preliminary Scoping Statement: Exhibits

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The Preliminary Scoping Statement includes 41 exhibits pertaining to the methodology of assessment that will be including within the Application. These exhibits include:

1. General requirements2. Overview and public

involvement3. Location of facilities4. Land use5. Electric system effects 6. Wind power facilities7. Natural gas power facilities8. Electric system production

modeling9. Alternatives10. Consistency with energy

planning objectives11. Preliminary design drawings12. Construction13. Real property14. Cost of facilities15. Public health and safety16. Pollution control facilities17. Air emissions18. Safety and security

19. Noise and vibration20. Cultural resources21. Geology, seismology and

soils22. Terrestrial ecology and

wetlands23. Water resources and

aquatic ecology24. Visual impacts 25. Effect on transportation 26. Effect on communications27. Socioeconomic effects 28. Environmental justice29. Site restoration and

decommissioning30. Nuclear facilities31. Local laws and ordinances32. State laws and regulations33. Other applications and

filings34. Electric interconnection

35. Electric and magnetic fields36. Gas interconnection37. Back-up fuel38. Water interconnection39. Wastewater interconnection40. Telecommunications

interconnection41. Applications to modify or

build adjacent

Example Exhibit: Visual Impacts (24)

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• The evaluation will be presented in a Visual Impact Assessment (VIA) report.

• The components of the VIA will include identification of visually sensitive resources, viewshed mapping, confirmatory visual assessment fieldwork, visual simulations (photographic overlays), establishment of landscape similarity zones, and proposed visual impact mitigation.

• All visual simulations will be presented to a rating panel comprised of registered landscape architects and/or planners who will be asked to rate and describe the effect of the proposed Facility in terms of its contrast with existing elements of the landscape.

The Application will evaluate potential short and long-term visual impacts that would result from introducing the Facility into the landscape.

Example Exhibit: Site Restoration + Decommissioning (29)

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• The Application will provide a statement of the performance criteria proposed for the decommissioning and restoration of the Facility, and the proposed form of financial security adequate to fund the decommissioning and site restoration.

• The Application will include a Site Restoration + Decommissioning Plan, which determines terms, durations, and the process of decommissioning and restoration activities.

The Application will include a discussion regarding the process and method for decommissioning and restoration of the Facility at the end of its useful life (20-40 years).

Advisory Working GroupsAn informal opportunity to interact in small groups with Project experts on topical issues, such as the Community Solar Rate Discount Program and Mitigating Visual Impacts.

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WHEN + WHERE:

• Meetings will begin in April once the Bear Ridge Community Office has opened.

• Meetings will occur at least every two months

HOW TO GET INVOLVED:

• Sign-up sheets are located at the front table! You can also indicate interest through our website.

• Please include specific issues you would like to see more focus on.

Preliminary Engineering Design

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Standard 100’ setback along site

perimeter

Substation Yard and O&M Building

Solar + Tech Park

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Bear Ridge Solar acknowledges the Town of Cambria’s priority in developing the shovel-ready certified sites into a Technology Park or Data Center. We hope to incentivize companies with renewable energy goals to develop within a collaborative “Solar + Tech Park.”

Example of Nearby Renewable Energy Parks – Riverview Solar Technology Park: Tonawanda, NY

• ~200 acres, NYS Certified Shovel Ready

• Solar Energy offered to tenants

• Commercial space, offices, warehouses, labs

Source: https://www.thepartnership.org, https://www.riverviewsolarpark.com/

Existing Shovel Ready Tech Park Layout

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Cambria Tech Park layout as depicted in Wendel’s 2011 Final GEIS

Preliminary Engineering Design

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Shovel Ready Tech Park Location

Project Moving Forward

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Submit PSS on or around February 15th

• 21-Day Comment Period

Continued Community Engagement in 2019• Advisory Working Groups• Community Office Space• Pre-Application Open Houses

Perform Field Studies, Negotiate Stipulations March – September 2019

Tentative Application Submission in September 2019• Engineering Drawings• 41 Exhibits – (e.g. Visual Impact Studies)

Where to Ask Questions

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By Phone –• (716) 379-3805

By Email –• bearridge@ccrenew.com,

kevin.kohlstedt@ccrenew.com, scavo@ccrenew.com

By Website Submission –• Bearridgesolar.com

Via Office Hours –• To be posted on website once office

opens

If you have any questions about our project, please reach out to us!

Q&A

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