The Sugar Maple solar project is a 125 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic electric generating facility with a 20 MW battery storage component proposed to be located on the border of the Towns of Croghan and Wilna in Jefferson and Lewis Counties, New York (the “Project”). The Project footprint is approximately 1000 acres and plans to connect to the Black River to Taylorville (NY) and N. Carthage to Taylorville 115 kV lines. The Project is anticipated to positively impact both the environment and the local economy by reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 101,260 tons, powering 16,722 homes — and producing significant tax revenue and other economic benefits for the area.

Project updates

 

May 2025

Please be advised that the Sugar Maple Solar permit application originally sent to the Bodman Memorial Library has been relocated to the Carthage Free Library. For questions or further information, please contact AES directly at sugarmaplesolar@aes.com or 866-757-7697.

 

February 2025

The Sugar Maple Solar Article VIII Permit Application can be viewed on the ORES website and at NYSDPS-DMM: Matter Master.

 

December 2024

On or about December 26, 2024, Sugar Maple Solar issued a 3-day notice of intent to file an Article VIII Application.

 

September 2024

On or about September 24, 2024, Sugar Maple Solar issued a 60 day notice of intent to file an Article VIII application.

 

June 2024

Community Meeting
Notice Date: Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Time: 5:00 PM-7:00 PM
Location: Croghan Fire Hall (6860 Fire Hall St, Croghan, NY 13327)

Please join AES for a Community Meeting regarding the Sugar Maple Solar Project, a proposed 125 MW* solar energy generation project with a 20MW battery energy storage component. The Sugar Maple Solar Project is proposed to be located in the Towns of Wilna in Jefferson County and Croghan in Lewis County.

At the Community Meeting, informational display boards will be set up around the room with project representatives available to provide information and answer questions about:

  • the Sugar Maple Project and the Article VIII (formerly Section 94-c) permitting process,
  • the date AES anticipates applying for a Siting Permit for the Sugar Maple Solar Project, and
  • the availability of local agency account funding to community groups, including how and when to access available funding.

Community members and other stakeholders are invited to drop in between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM. There will not be a formal presentation.

*We recognize and apologize for any confusion created by our recent communication of an 80MW solar + 20MW battery project. We are pleased to share that updated engineering has shown that we can maintain the initial project size of 125MWac + 20MW battery with no additional land needed. 

 

**Approximate annual carbon dioxide emissions reduced

A detailed map displaying the Sugar Maple Solar facility components and regulatory boundaries in the towns of Wilna and Croghan, New York. It outlines facility sites, underground and overhead collection lines, access roads, solar panel areas, and substations. School district boundaries, town and village borders, and county lines are also marked, with a legend explaining the symbols.

Permitting process

On February 25, 2021, Sugar Maple Solar filed a letter with the Secretary to the NYS Public Service Commission (PSC) noticing its election to be subject to Executive Law Article VIII and stating its intent to file a Transfer Application with the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES).

Article VIII (formerly Section 94-c, enacted in April 2020) established the ORES within the NYS Department of State to provide a single forum for the environmental review and permitting of proposed major renewable energy facilities. This includes renewable energy systems with a nameplate generating capacity of 25,000 kilowatts or more, co-located energy storage systems, and electric transmission facilities less than 10 miles in length. The final Article VIII (formerly Section 94-c regulations) were issued on March 3, 2021 and can be viewed here.

Article 10 applications that have received a completeness determination will be deemed complete under the new Article VIII (formerly Section 94-c), while projects currently undergoing the Article 10 siting process can choose to either remain in Article 10 or opt-in to Article VIII. The Article VIII regulations issued by ORES include an expedited permitting process to account for matters and issues already presented and resolved in the alternate Article 10 proceedings.

Prior to submitting a Article VIII permit application, projects are required to consult with the local agencies and stakeholders of the community(ies) in which the proposed project will be located. ORES also requires that state agencies (e.g. NY DEC) are consulted on wetland and stream delineations, threatened and endangered species, and archeological and cultural resources, if appropriate. Agency consultations should take place at the earliest point possible in the applicant’s process.

Following consultations with impacted agencies, Article VIII applicants must hold at least one meeting for community members. The Sugar Maple Virtual Community Meeting will be held on April 8, 2021.

Outside of the Article VIII public comment period and requirements, Sugar Maple Solar is committed to ongoing stakeholder and community engagement; including maintaining the “Public Involvement Program (PIP) Plan” log, even though it is not a Article VIII requirement. 

Documents filed in the Project proceedings may be viewed online at the ORES' website by clicking “Search” on the homepage and then entering Case Number 20-F-0129 in the field “Search by Case Number”, or by directly visiting the Sugar Maple Solar DMM. Interested parties may subscribe to the service list or request party status for the Sugar Maple Solar Project by accessing the Project proceedings via either of the links included above.

Article VII Timeline (NY Projects)

Project impacts

 

The Sugar Maple Solar Project will support New York State’s climate goals and will have minimal impact on neighboring landowners, nearby communities, and surrounding landscapes. The Facility has been designed to minimize impacts to the maximum extent practicable and unavoidable impacts will be outweighed by the economic and environmental benefits of the Facility. For further information regarding project impacts please refer to the linked DMM and community meeting boards at the bottom of the project page. Further questions related to project impacts can be sent to the project email for further follow-up. The public may also contact the AES phone line to speak with a project representative for further clarification regarding project-impact-related questions.

Accessing resources via the ORES website

 

  • The permit application for Sugar Maple Solar may be examined during normal business hours at the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission, and the local library(ies) served in accordance with section 1100-1.6(a)(6) of this Part, and the addresses thereof:
    • Croghan Free Library: PO Box 8 Croghan, NY 13327-0008
    • Carthage Free Library: 412 Budd Street, Carthage, NY 13619

 

 

  • To submit any questions or comments regarding the Article VIII permitting process, reach out to ORES by phone, email, written letter or via: 

 

How to become an intervenor in the Article VIII (formerly Section 94-c) process

 

Upon the filing of a Article VIII Application, Sugar Maple Solar will post an intervenor fund ($1,000/MW) which can be sought by local community intervenors and host towns. 75% of funds are reserved for municipalities.

Any local agency or potential community intervenor seeking funding must submit a request for initial funding within thirty (30) days of the date of application filing. Such requests can be made to:

general@ores.ny.gov 

OR by mail to: 

Attention: Request for Local Agency Account Funding
Office of Renewable Energy Siting
Empire State Plaza
240 State Street
P-1 South, J Dock 
Albany, NY 12242

If you have questions regarding the intervenor process please contact the ORES office.

Project resources

June 2024 Community Meeting

June 2024 Community Meeting →

Sugar Maple Solar DMM

Link to Article VIII Permit Application Filings (via the DPS'DMM) Matter Master Number 23-03027 can be found at:

The New York State Department of Public Service →

Upcoming events

New York office hours
Have a question or comment for AES about their work in your community? Give us a call during these hours to talk to a company representative.

  • Every Monday from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM EST
  • Every Thursday from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM EST
  • Call our New York office at 866-757-7697 (866-SLRPOWR)

Contact us

For any inquiries or comments about Sugar Maple Solar please contact us directly at:

  • Project Email: sugarmaplesolar@aes.com
  • Project Phone Number: 866-757-7697 (866-SLRPOWR)
  • Office Address: 292 Madison Avenue 15th Floor New York, NY 10017