Solar Facility Bolsters Local Economies and is Expected to Provide Millions in Local Investment 

Project Expected to Create Nearly 290 Good-Paying Construction Jobs and Provide Significant Tax Payments to Local Governments and School Districts    

ALBANY — The New York State Department of Public Service (Department) today announced the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES) has issued a final siting permit for ConnectGen Montgomery County, LLC, to develop, operate and decommission the Mill Point Solar I Project, a 250-megawatt (MW) solar facility in the Town of Glen, Montgomery County. The project will create good-paying jobs, invest in crucial infrastructure, and increase tax revenues for local schools and other community priorities through tax and host community agreements.

“This project approval demonstrates we are strengthening our commitment to improve grid reliability and build clean energy,” said Department CEO Rory M. Christian. “The development of new renewable generation and transmission projects creates new clean energy, strengthens grid reliability, and supports new good-paying jobs for New Yorkers.”

The Montgomery County facility will contribute 250-MW of clean, renewable energy to New York’s electric grid while offsetting nearly 217,280 metric tons of CO2 and providing power for approximately 33,724 average-sized homes. The project is expected to be operational in 2027.

With the Mill Point Solar decision, New York State has approved 35 large-scale solar and wind projects since 2021, including 29 permitted by ORES, which was created to accelerate permitting for renewable energy generation, and six approved by the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment under Article 10, the statute that governed solar and wind projects over 25-MWs prior to the creation of ORES. The 35 permitted facilities represent 4.4 gigawatts of new clean, renewable energy.

Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission Executive Director Zeryai Hagos said, “The Mill Point Solar facility will not only help advance the State’s nation-leading clean energy policies, but it also offers much needed financial support to farmers participating in the project.”

The facility was approved after a thorough, timely, and transparent review process that included public comment periods and hearings. ORES received more than 441 public comments regarding the project and held a well-attended public comment hearing in May.

According to the developer, the facility is expected to provide additional tax revenues, which could total tens of millions of dollars over the life of the project, for road upgrades, schools, public safety, and other critically important infrastructure services to the Town of Glen, the Fonda-Fultonville Central School District, and Montgomery County. Additionally, Mill Point Solar is expected to create approximately 290 full-time construction jobs and up to three permanent operations and maintenance jobs, in addition to contracting local labor for ongoing services such as road repair, snow removal, and vegetation management.

The developer expects that execution of PILOT agreements will require annual PILOT payments for 15 years. Although a PILOT agreement has not yet been negotiated, it is expected that such an agreement will increase the revenues of the taxing jurisdictions and will represent a significant portion of their total tax levy. Additionally, all residential utility customers in the town will receive annual utility bill credits for the first 10 years of the Facility operation, totaling $1.25 million over the life of the program.

ORES’s decision to approve permitting this facility follows a detailed and transparent review process with robust public participation to ensure the proposed project meets or exceeds the requirements of Article VIII of the New York State Public Service Law and its implementing regulations.

On February 12, 2024, ConnectGen Montgomery County, LLC, filed an application for a permit pursuant to Public Service Law Article VIII to construct the Mill Point Solar I Project located in the Town of Glen, Montgomery County. A notice of complete application was issued January 27, 2025, and a corrected notice of complete application was issued on February 5, 2025. This solar power project meaningfully advances New York’s clean energy goals while establishing the state as a leading location for efficient, transparent, and thorough siting permitting processes for major renewable energy facilities.

Today’s decision may be obtained by going to the Department’s Documents section of the website at www.dps.ny.gov and entering Case Number 23-02972 in the input box labeled "Search for Case/Matter Number". Many libraries offer free Internet access. Department documents may also be obtained from the Department’s Files Office, 14th floor, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223 (518-474-2500). If you have difficulty understanding English, please call us at 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this press release.