Don't rush Suffolk solar project
Suffolk County wants to turn 55 acres of land it owns into solar fields, including this swath of woods next to the Suffolk County farm in Yaphank. Credit: James Carbone
We understand why Suffolk County is working with a California company to build solar arrays on five pieces of county-owned land. The county has an admirable desire to help wean Long Island off fossil fuels in favor of using renewable forms of energy. And powering its jail and other buildings with the solar power it generates will save taxpayers money.
But we're not sure how this fits into Long Island's energy future overall. No one is. Because no comprehensive study has been done of all the places that could host large solar arrays. No inventory of available and suitable brownfields, landfills, parking lots, large rooftops and the like. No review of the environmental and economic impact. No estimates of how many megawatts would be produced. No analysis of how that would help meet Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's laudable mandate that 50 percent of New York's power come from renewable sources by 2030.
Suffolk's deal requires clearing trees from 44 of the 130 acres to be developed. Is that smart? Suffolk's own planning commission recommends cutting the fewest trees possible, and it seems county officials tried to meet that goal, but the environmental trade-off -- solar panels save more carbon dioxide than trees can absorb, but trees offer so many other benefits -- cannot be judged without knowing the alternatives.
There is some urgency to do solar now. A federal tax credit expires at the end of 2016, and projects must be built by then to qualify. Any effort to help stem global warming right away is welcome, but we also want to be smart about what we do. And that requires planning.
Let's get a study done quickly -- perhaps Suffolk could take the lead -- and make sure the solar power we develop makes sense.
