Clifton Park has seen several community solar projects in recent years. The latest proposal on MacElroy Road has drawn both support for its clean-energy potential and opposition over local impacts.
Project Overview
Developer DG Cooley, LLC (affiliated with NextEra Energy) is seeking a Special Use Permit and site-plan approval for a 5 MW AC community solar farm on MacElroy Road (SBL 264.-3-5.1) in the Conservation-Residential zone.
The original application referenced a larger parcel; the revised concept plan presented to the Planning Board on February 10, 2026, reduces the developed solar array to approximately 19 acres.
Possible Benefits
According to the applicant’s presentations and similar approved projects in town:
Key issues raised in the petition and at public meetings include:
- Wetland buffer reduction: The applicant is requesting a reduction of the NYSDEC-mandated 100-foot wetland buffer to 50 feet. Opponents say this would remove existing vegetation that currently acts as a natural sound-dampening barrier.
- Noise: Potential constant electrical humming from inverters and transformers, especially on sunny days.
- Fire and safety: Current site plans show no nearby fire hydrant and no dedicated fire-truck access road. Concerns about toxic smoke if electrical equipment faults.
- Visual and neighborhood character: 12-foot-tall solar panels could create an industrial appearance, shadow nearby homes, and affect the rural feel of the area.
- Property values and developer origin: Fears of decreased values for adjacent residential properties; the developer is an out-of-state corporation.
- Environmental: Potential for panel materials to leach chemicals into soil, with some residents relying on well water.
The town’s Environmental Conservation Commission has requested additional screening (berms and taller plantings) along MacElroy Road and a detailed decommissioning plan with cost estimates.
Current Status
The project remains in the Revised Concept stage with the Clifton Park Planning Board. The Board has not yet scheduled a public hearing or taken final action…