Solar opportunity for utility discounts announced

Delaware River Solar has announced additional availability on two upcoming community solar farms in Orange County that will offer residents access to locally produced solar energy, via Orange Rockland Utilities (ORU). Orange Rockland customers are eligible to join the new Orange County community solar farms and receive up to a 10% discount on their monthly electric bill. Residents will see the solar cost savings on their ORU bill.

The two new Orange County projects are Davis Solar Farm, in Goshen, and Lockenhurst Solar Farm, in Minisink.

“Delaware River Solar is currently signing up solar farm subscribers for these two locations, where electricity generation is scheduled to begin on January 1, 2023. Members will begin seeing electricity discounts as early as their March 2023 electricity bill,” said Mark McLaren, spokesman for the company. “We say as early as in order to give us a slight buffer for unforeseen events. We are working on a number of new projects across the state. We anticipate being able to announce new projects in Orange County in the future but have no definitive statement to make at this time.”

The average ORU community solar farm subscriber will be responsible for eliminating nearly 18,000 pounds of yearly carbon emissions, the equivalent of removing one and a half cars from roadways for a year, McLaren says.

“In the short term, Delaware River Solar focuses on New York State. We have 44 community solar farms currently and are bringing on a number of farms this year,” he said.

Founded in 2016, the Callicoon New York-based company has been responsible for developing and managing community solar farms across New York State since its first Callicoon installation. DRS currently operates 44 community solar farms, providing approximately 20,000 New Yorkers with clean renewable energy and eliminating over 350 million pounds of atmospheric carbon per year. It would take 2.7 million tree seedlings ten years to achieve this carbon reduction.

The new Orange County solar farm installations are part of an effort by New York State to produce 50% of New York’s electricity needs with renewables by 2030.