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Monroe County, NY — Solar Development Risk Assessment

Local solar ordinance barriers, board sentiment, and utility policies that affect development timelines and risk.

32.6
Risk Grade
Excellent
Rochester (UR/RIT); urban/suburban; limited utility-scale land; commercial/campus primary; progressive
Assessment Snapshot
Population
744,344
State Rank
#3
Compliance
48%
Trajectory
42

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No Moratorium

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
None codified at county level. ORES sets conditions for ≥20 MW; municipal zoning governs <20 MW.
Zoning Mechanism
Municipal SUP/Special Permit for <20 MW. ≥20 MW: ORES (Article 94-c) bypasses local zoning.
Acreage Caps
None codified.
Density Caps
None codified.
Spacing Rules
None codified.
Size Restrictions
None codified.

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Generally favorable — Rochester progressive; UR/RIT; land constraint
Basis for Assessment
Rochester (UR/RIT); urban/suburban; limited utility-scale land; commercial/campus primary; progressive
Political Risk Factors
Improving
Board Members
County Legislature | Yversha M. Roman (President, Dist 26) | D | Term Expires: 2027; Rachel Barnhart (Dist 21) | D | Term Expires: 2027; Mercedes Vazquez Simmons (Dist 22) | D | Term Expires: 2027; Linda Hasman (Dist 23) | D | Term Expires: 2027; Albert Blankley (Dist 24) | R | Term Expires: 2027; Carolyn Delvecchio Hoffman (Dist 25) | D | Term Expires: 2027; Sabrina LaMar (Dist 27) | D | Term Expires: 2027; Ricky Frazier (Dist 28) | D | Term Expires: 2027; William Burgess (Dist 29) | R | Term Expires: 2027; 29-member legislature, Democratic majority 16-13; full roster at monroecounty.gov/legislature-legislators (9 of 29 confirmed by name+party via web search April 2026)

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
NYISO Zone C (Central — National Grid / NYSEG)
Utilities
Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E), RG&E
State Permitting Process
New York Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES), established April 2020 under Executive Law §94-c (Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act): exclusive jurisdiction for projects ≥25 MW. Projects 20–25 MW may opt-in to ORES process. Sub-20 MW: local zoning governs. ORES can preempt local laws if 'unreasonably burdensome' to project — Third Department Appellate Court upheld this preemption authority (2023). ORES must issue siting permit within 12 months of completeness determination (6 months for repurposed/brownfield sites); if not decided, permit is deemed granted. RAPID Act (2024): consolidated major renewable energy + major electric transmission into single ORES process; draft regulations Dec 18, 2024 (public comment closed Mar 2025); implementing new pre-application consultation requirements including mandatory Indigenous Nation consultations. As of Mar 2026, ORES has issued 15 final siting permits totaling 2.3 GW. NYISO interconnection required statewide. All 62 NY counties in NYISO territory.
State Incentives
NY-Sun Initiative (NYSERDA): residential and commercial/industrial solar incentives; MW Block program provides upfront incentives per W-DC (declining block). NY Community Distributed Generation (CDG): community solar, Brooklyn-Queens neighborhood program. NY CLCPA (Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act): 70% RES by 2030; 100% clean by 2040; largest clean energy commitment of any state. NYISO RECs and ZECs: wholesale market credits support development. NY Article 94-c (ORES): state permit for ≥20 MW; preempts local opposition. NY Green Bank: project financing support. Utility varies by county: Con Edison (NYC/Westchester); National Grid (Long Island/Upstate); NYSEG (Southern Tier/North Country); Central Hudson (Hudson Valley); RG&E (Rochester); O&R (Orange/Rockland).

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
Horseshoe Solar Energy Facility | 180 MW | Invenergy | Town of Rush, Monroe County (shared with Livingston County) | ORES 8th permit issued 2022 | 50,000+ homes. See Livingston County entry for full details.
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
No confirmed ORES Article 94-c denial on record for Monroe County as of Mar 2026. NY RAPID Act (2024) streamlines ORES process; 35 projects approved (4.4 GW) since 2021. Adirondack Park portions: APA may deny or condition projects within Park boundary. Municipalities may comment but cannot veto ORES-approved projects. Source: NY Article 94-c; NY DPS; ORES records

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Last verified: April 2026 (web research) | SolarRisk Tracker | Data sources: Government records, utility filings, public meeting minutes