The Brockport Exempts Club at 248 West Avenue Brockport, a non-for-profit organization tasked with supporting Brockport’s volunteer fire fighters, has decided to join the green revolution. The organization has agreed to work with a local Clarkson company to develop the 10 acres behind the Exempts Club with two megawatts of solar power.
The solar field is part of a cutting edge policy developed in other states like Massachusetts and is becoming implemented in New York State. “The program will change the way we supply power and in doing so will lower the cost,” says Kirk Golden, President of Ecovis Inc DBA Rochester Solar and Wind.
NYSERDA’s Community Solar Program, commonly known as shared solar, was designed to supply low cost power to local residents and businesses. It cuts cost by selling power directly to residents and businesses at a reduced cost. The average savings for a residential user amounts to about 25 percent or $25 on a $100 National Grid bill.
Alan Way, Secretary for the Brockport Exempts Club, says the solar project is a win-win-win. The Exempts club will earn an estimated $16,000 a year in lease fees that can be invested in supporting volunteer fire fighters, the town gets the tax revenue, and the local community gets low cost electricity.
“From the inception of this project we have worked to make everything local. We will install the solar field with local labor, install locally sourced materials, and sell the low cost electricity to local businesses and residents. Too many of these projects are going to large national companies that take the profits to some other state. Keeping it local is what its all about,” says Golden.
A letter of intent was submitted to the Town of Clarkson on January 10 and is awaiting Town approval.
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