State council approves expansion for heavily opposed solar farm in East Windsor
A proposal to expand the 485-acre Gravel Pit Solar in East Windsor is moving forward as of Thursday. The Connecticut Siting Council approved the plan in a unanimous 6-0 vote.
The Town of East Windsor has been pushing back on the 150-acre expansion for months.
“I am irate about this, and I know I’m not alone,” First Selectman Jason Bowsza (D) said after the decision came down.
He said, despite the Siting Council’s unanimous decision, they plan to challenge the state’s approval in some capacity, especially because East Windsor already has seven solar projects in play.
“We’re going to meet with the [town] council, we’re going to examine what our administrative remedies are, what our legal remedies are,” said Bowsza. “They [the state] are not considering the cumulative effect of their decisions. They are considering the cumulative impact of this decision against itself, and that’s wrong. We are going to challenge that interpretation.”
The Siting Council’s job is to decide the location of power facilities like Gravel Pit, which is supposed to produce enough energy to power 4,500 homes.
“…[The] effects on the natural environment, ecological balance, public health and safety, scenic, historic and recreational values, agriculture, forests and parks, air and water purity, fish, aquaculture and wildlife are not disproportionate either alone or cumulatively with other effects compared to need, are not in conflict with the policies of the state concerning such effects, and are not sufficient reason to deny the application,” said the Siting Council’s Decision and Order from Feb. 27.
Opponents in the town, like Nicole Paradise, say they want municipalities to have more of a say in the decision-making process, especially since East Windsor is already responsible for around 25% of the state’s solar capacity.
“We don’t feel like we’ve been heard, and we feel as if the decision had already been made,” said Paradise. “Something has to change.”
Bowsza says the town will be hosting a special meeting to discuss this topic in the coming days.
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