Tompkins County, NY — Solar Development Risk Assessment

No Moratorium

None codified at county level. ORES sets conditions for ≥20 MW; municipal zoning governs <20 MW.

Municipal SUP/Special Permit for <20 MW. ≥20 MW: ORES (Article 94-c) bypasses local zoning.

Very favorable — Cornell/IC progressive; campus solar leader; land constraint

C NY; Ithaca (Cornell/IC); progressive university; limited utility-scale land; commercial/campus primary

Improving

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.

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).

Yellow Barn Solar | 160 MW | Yellow Barn Solar LLC | Towns of Groton and Lansing | ORES permit issued 2025 (same joint DPS announcement as Fort Covington; 500 MW combined in three-project batch). DPS press release dps.ny.gov.

No confirmed ORES Article 94-c denial on record for Tompkins 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