O&R Utilities plans alternative energy solutions in Warwick

This past fall, Orange & Rockland Utilities (O&R) sent out a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the West Warwick Non-Wires Alternatives Program to provide solutions for distribution system reliability and load relief.

According to information provided by O&R spokesman Mike Donovan, the company wants to help customers in specific parts of its Warwick service area take advantage of innovative ways to reduce the amount of electricity they need from the power grid.

O&R is asking prospective business partners to provide proposals on how they can help supplement customers’ electric service in parts of Warwick, Pine Island and Florida by installing solar panels, fuel cells, energy efficient equipment, batteries or other local distributed energy resources.

There are two preferred locations in Warwick selected primarily for battery storage.

Location 1

Location 1 is the O&R Company’s 25 acre property, adjacent to the proposed Pulpit Rock development, at the intersection of West Street and County Route 1A.

This property was originally a planned site to construct a traditional substation to take pressure off the old Wisner substation which directs power to most of Warwick west of Mt Peter. Battery storage at this site would buy time before a substation is needed.

“From the Town’s perspective,” said Supervisor Michael Sweeton, “they will need planning board approval and we would take into account visual and safety issues associated with battery storage. But it would be a special permitted use, which should ultimately get approval. I recognize as do many others, that to reach the very ambitious goals New York State has set for sustainable power generation by 2030, technology like battery storage may be the only hope.

'If we do not control the planning review of these projects," Sweeton added, "there is real fear the state will push to preempt local review and just place them wherever they like.“

Location 2

Location 2 is between Maple Avenue and Grand Street in the Village of Warwick.

“This is an initiative to develop facilities that would have energy storage capabilities as opposed to creating new substations,” explained Mayor Michael Newhard. “With new battery technology the ability to store and to deliver energy when needed is a simpler, cleaner way of providing energy. The units look like storage containers and can be masked visually. The Request for Proposal only described areas of the Village and Town where there were possible sites that were economically feasible but it was not specific to any placement.”

There are those, however, who argue that open spaces are essential to maintaining the rural character of Warwick.

The Village Greenbelt Preservation Society, for example, has issued a statement that it would like to see O&R “take care and sensitivity” as to where and how an alternative energy solution would be constructed.

“We are in favor of clean energy solutions,” reads the statement, “but not at the expense of destroying the viewshed and green open space of the gateway to the Village.”

For details about the O&R Warwick proposal click on:

https://www.oru.com/-/media/files/oru/documents/business-partners/non-wires-alternatives/west-warwick.pdf?la=en

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PIC - One photo and caption uploaded to MyCapture.

Location 1 is the O&R Company’s 25 acre property, adjacent to the proposed Pulpit Rock development (far left), at the intersection of West Street and County Route 1A.