Warren County Supervisors Approve Lease for Solar Array at Airport

Apr. 19—QUEENSBURY — The Warren County Board of Supervisors on Friday formally agreed to allow Nexamp Solar to lease 50 acres of property at Warren County airport for a solar array.

The Massachusetts-based company is leasing 28 acres on the north side and 22 acres of the south side of the airport. The solar company wants to install a 6.5-megawatt system.

Public Works Commissioner Kevin Hajos said the lease payments to the county would be about $207,000 for the first year. There is a 2% annual increase built into the contract. The lease is for 25 years.

County officials estimate that they would receive about $6.6 million over the lifetime of the lease. There is an option for one five-year extension.

Hajos told the board that the solar panels would not go in right away.

"For the next 18 months, they'll be doing their design," he said.

Queensbury resident Travis Whitehead said during written comments submitted for the public hearing that leasing this space is a good idea. He hoped that the county would consider additional leases for solar arrays for other county-owned property around the airport such as the lots near the National Guard armory.

Dr. Rich Saunders, who also lives in Queensbury and is a pilot, submitted comments wondering if the solar arrays would be far enough from the end of the runway.

Hajos said the start of the solar field would be about 3,000 feet from the end of the runway.

Queensbury at-Large Supervisor Doug Beaty said the Federal Aviation Administration must approve the final design.

Michael Goot covers politics, crime and courts, Warren County, education and business. Reach him at 518-742-3320 or [email protected].

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