McDONOUGH – A planned five-megawatt solar farm in McDonough has the green light to enter a tax break agreement with the county that could generate more than $112,000 in local revenues by 2040.

A payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) deal has been approved by county officials that will require Albany-based County Route 7 Solar, LLC, the developer behind the McDonough solar project, to doll out $1,500 per megawatt annually over the course of a 15-year period.

County Route 7 Solar is proposing that solar panels be placed on a portion of the 100.63 acre parcel at 662 County Route 7 in the Town of McDonough.

The New York State Energy Research and Development (NYSERDA), as lead agency, has determined that the project will not have a significant adverse environmental impact.

Solar projects are becoming a common sight in Chenango County, with major projects popping up in Norwich, Coventry, Afton, Bainbridge, and Smyrna. More farmland in Chenango County and across New York State is being purchased and rented for large-scale solar projects, gaining criticism from some local ag advocates for lowering the number of viable agricultural acres while raising land prices and compromising farmland for future use.

County officials have kept an eye on solar development over the last five years in particular, many of them warning publicly in county-led committees that solar projects are pilfering viable farmland locally and statewide.

The challenge in preserving farmland may come down to a simple issue of revenue for landowners. The profits of renting land to farmers, officials say, just can’t compete with what energy companies are offering. Local governments can not dictate solar use on local farmland, and state regulations often prevent municipalities from zoning or completely banning an energy project. Local regulations that restrict energy projects from being carried out are often overridden by the New York State authorities.

The Chenango County Industrial Development Agency is currently reviewing two additional PILOT agreements for solar projects in Norwich and Bainbridge.