Greenfield Center Approves Skidmore Solar Facility

The proposed solar farm is part of the college’s sustainability plan. It is supposed to be less dependent on fossil fuel to help the school use sustainable energy and would collect and sell energy.

Back in March, Skidmore was awarded a $2.35 million grant under Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s NY-Sun Initiative, which allowed the college to lease the land to a developer who would build the solar panels and sell obtained energy to the college.

In the proposal to construct the array, Skidmore partnered with Dynamic Energy Solutions. If the plan goes through, it would produce over two megawatts of power, supplying 12 percent of Skidmore’s annual needs.

The 6,950-panel setup is an eight-acre plot of land beside Denton Road and Bloomfield Road. That land is part of 12 acres currently used as sports practice fields by the college. 

In September, the Planning Board agreed the proposal would not have a bad impact on the environment.

Originally, the project was supposed to be finished by November 15, or Skidmore would risk losing its grant money.