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Schoharie County, NY — Solar Development Risk Assessment

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

38.9
Risk Grade
Good
C NY; Cobleskill (SUNY Cobleskill); agricultural; ORES ≥25 MW; growing solar interest
Assessment Snapshot
Population
31,177
State Rank
#18
Compliance
52%
Trajectory
50

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 receptive — SUNY agricultural; agricultural; ORES pathway
Basis for Assessment
C NY; Cobleskill (SUNY Cobleskill); agricultural; ORES ≥25 MW; growing solar interest
Political Risk Factors
Stable
Board Members
County Board of Supervisors | William Federice | R | Term Expires: 2027 (Chair, Conesville); Harold Vroman | R | Term Expires: 2027 (Vice Chair, Summit); Donald M. Airey | R | Term Expires: 2027 (Blenheim); Stephen Weinhofer | R | Term Expires: 2027 (Broome); John H. Leavitt | R | Term Expires: 2027 (Carlisle); Werner T. Hampel | R | Term Expires: 2027 (Cobleskill); Earl VanWormer III | R | Term Expires: 2027 (Esperance); Jeffrey Haslun | R | Term Expires: 2027 (Richmondville); Alan Tavenner | R | Term Expires: 2027 (Schoharie); Earlin Rosa | R | Term Expires: 2027 (Seward); Sandra Manko | D | Term Expires: 2027 (Sharon); Alexander Luniewski | I | Term Expires: 2027 (Wright) — 16-member body (one per town); 5 additional town supervisors not confirmed in accessible sources — see schohariecounty-ny.gov

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
NYISO Zone F (Capital — National Grid / NYSEG)
Utilities
National Grid, Central Hudson
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
Rock District Solar | MW pending | Rock District Solar LLC | Towns of Seward and Carlisle | ORES DMM Matter No. 23-02971 (formerly ORES Permit Application No. 23-00033; case number changed Feb 3 2025) | Siting Permit issued per DPS documents. Schoharie County.
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
No confirmed ORES Article 94-c denial on record for Schoharie 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