NYSAC Releases Report on Renewable Energy Siting

NYSAC has released a new report outlining county-led recommendations to better balance New York's renewable energy goals with the need to protect productive farmland, support local communities, and maintain a reliable and affordable energy system.

The report, Balancing Renewable Energy Siting and Farmland Protection in New York State, reflects the work of NYSAC's Steering Committee on Energy Siting and Farmland Protection and incorporates feedback from county leaders across the state.

In 2025, NYSAC’s Standing Committees on Agriculture, Economic Development and Rural Affairs and Climate Action, Energy and Environment established a Steering Committee on Energy Siting and Farmland Protection to develop actionable policy recommendations that advance both goals. Co-chaired by the Hon. Jen Metzger, Ulster County Executive, and Hon. Doug Berwanger, Wyoming County Supervisor, the Steering Committee conducted a statewide member survey, convened a summit of county officials, and synthesized the results into the recommendations contained in this report.

The findings are clear: counties broadly support renewable energy and believe agricultural viability must be treated as co-equal with energy policy. This report presents the county perspective, documents the gaps in the current state framework, and calls on the Governor, the Legislature, and state agencies to act.

Among its recommendations, the report calls for:

• Stronger protections for New York's most productive agricultural soils;
• Restoring meaningful local authority in siting decisions Greater consideration of brownfields, landfills, rooftops, parking canopies, and other non-agricultural sites for renewable energy development;
• Increased investment in farmland preservation and farm viability programs; and
• Strategic investments in transmission infrastructure to reduce development pressure on agricultural lands. 

The report also recognizes that renewable energy siting challenges cannot be viewed in isolation from broader questions surrounding New York's future energy supply. 

The report comes as New York accelerates efforts to meet its clean energy goals while facing growing concerns from local governments about the loss of prime agricultural land, constraints on local land-use authority, and increasing pressure on rural communities hosting large-scale renewable energy projects. The report concludes that New York can and must advance both clean energy development and farmland protection, but that doing so will require a more balanced siting framework and greater investment in alternative energy strategies.