The Vermont Public Utility Commission isn’t immune to renewable energy companies’ claims that provisions of the state’s utilities program violated federal law, the Second Circuit said.
There’s no red-carpet welcome for a major commercial solar project in a residential area — at least not yet. The Zoning Board of Appeals posed some tough questions to developer Allco Renewable Energy Ltd. at Wednesday’s initial hearing on an application seeking a variance from town zoning bylaws. It’s proposed for 383 Housatonic St., near the Lenox Dale industrial zone. But nearly all of the property is in the 1-acre residential zone. And the town’s bylaws rule out a solar array in that homeowner zone next to the Mountain View Cemetery, one of the town’s three burial grounds.
A solar farm in a Lenox neighborhood? Not so fast, zoning board says berkshireeagle.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from berkshireeagle.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Allco Renewable Energy cites state law allowing joint use of agricultural land for farming and for solar installations. But the Lenox zoning bylaw allows solar facilities only in industrial zones,
The Lenox ZBA approved access to a mostly residential site, but limits use of the land to agriculture. A solar developer may initiate a second lawsuit against the town.