For weeks I have been posting about governmental overreach in New York State via ORES (Office of Renewable Energy Siting) to my social media channels. Every time I post, I am met with a comment from someone stating, “force them to run environmental impact studies and surveys. Surely that will stop them in their tracks.”
In a logical world where the government follows its own environmental laws and practices it sets forth on civilians, this would make sense. In the case of Fort Edward Solar, a 1,800+ acre proposed solar complex that resides 15 minutes away from my farm, there are dozens of not only threatened species at the site location, but also endangered. The site location is so critical to the survival of these species that the state’s own Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) designated it a sensitive and critical grassland habitat.
In an effort to uncover any environmental impact surveys, or to see if ORES or the foreign corporation, Boralex, had followed reasonable processes with Fort Edward Solar, I dove into the 350+ submitted files nestled on the ORES website.
And what I found was, to no one’s surprise, shocking.
Redactions at every turn
Fort Edward Solar has submitted dozens of ‘Requests for Nondisclosure’ to wipe all information related to endangered and threatened species, habitat impacts, and overall environmental impacts from the rollout of this solar industrial complex.
Every single file uploaded to the ORES website related to the environmental impact surveys and field studies that were purchased and conducted at the site have been blocked from public viewing.
It turns out ORES and Boralex are hiding behind two New York State laws:
NY Environmental Conservation Law § 3-0301(2)(r)
NY Public Officers Law § 87(a)
These laws allow corporations and the government to ‘hide sensitive information related to endangered species for the species well-being.’
The problem is that with unilateral ORES overreach in the name of ‘green energy,’ these laws are being used to shield a foreign corporation from the public. By redacting this information, ORES can understate or obscure the scale of threatened species habitat being destroyed... and we, the public, can’t fact-check them. ORES and Boralex can claim “net conservation benefit” without scrutiny from outside scientists.
You and I are stripped of the ability to contest the project on environmental grounds, since the evidence is secret.
As I combed through the documents, I realized there is not a single instance where true environmental impact is shared to the public. And since New York State created ORES via law 94-C which “grants an expedited permitting process for large-scale renewable energy projects (over 25 MW),” New York State allows developers to apply for a single permit from the ORES that consolidates various state and local approvals, replacing the former Article 10 process.
ORES was created to ‘streamline the environmental review process’ so they could deploy solar and wind complexes more quickly. And with the Trump administration sunsetting large solar farm tax credits by July 4, 2026, these solar corporations are rushing to get their ‘shovels in the ground’ before that deadline so they can collect their money.
Along the way, they are waging war on the environment, hiding ecological impacts that range from drained wetlands and poisoned water tables, to habitat destruction for critically endangered species. And ORES allows these corporations to hide behind redactions to see through a made up ‘green energy’ target that is going to destroy the environment long before we’re a completely carbon neutral society.
What is the point of our rule of law, our environmental designations and protections, and our town charters if we are not able to read and review the environmental impacts that are going to befall OUR lands? Every American has a God-given right to know how these solar experiments are going to change the animals, soil, environment, and water sources around our properties.
Hiding this information from the public further proves that the government, the governor, and ORES want to crush all transparency in this process. Such a desperate attempt to crush transparency tells you all you need to know. If this redacted information was made public, there would be environmental groups from all over the world here to protest what was about to ensue.
Attorneys, the press, and politicians
After sifting through this information and speaking with local groups, nonprofits, attorneys, and the amazing people who follow my social media channels, the following conclusion has been made: ORES and foreign corporations will ONLY answer to pressure from the press, politicians, or lawsuits.
My mom and I have called Boralex, the Department of Public Service, and ORES a combined 20+ times. No one answers. Calls are sent to voicemail. If you happen to reach someone, they ‘connect’ you with someone else and the call drops. Not one agency has called me back.
Which brings me to the best solution I have at this time as one individual who writes and posts online every day.
I filed for a nonprofit, which has been approved as a 501(c)(3): American Land Rescue Fund.
The purpose is simple: American Land Rescue Fund is a nonprofit organization using the power of law to defend America’s farmland, wildlife, and open spaces from industrial exploitation disguised as “green energy.” We fund environmental attorneys to fight legal battles that preserve ecosystems and rural livelihoods. Every acre saved strengthens the future of American agriculture and restores balance between progress and preservation.
It is my goal to raise enough money to enlist the most aggressive environmental/energy/renewable attorneys available to take on the state, ORES, and the DEC. It’s the only way. If you could see the amount of people writing to me, begging for help from their towns not just in New York State, but around the US, you would be unable to stomach it. This is widespread, it’s coordinated, and it’s an assault on the land and nature that makes this country what it is.
Time is of the essence here, so please spread the word and share this if you feel called.
(I will be writing another article to give you a more in-depth breakdown of my nonprofit this week.)
More coverage to come on the battle to defend our habitats and endangered species from foreign corporations, as well as articles that help you buy a few acres to start your dream homestead (I have an ongoing series right now).
So stick around!
FURTHER READING
No, your eyes aren't deceiving you: the location for this solar "farm" is that bad
“Who designates endangered status to animals in New York State?” I asked Google.
Where is the DEC? NYS has shut its own environmental body out of solar projects
When I attended a solar ‘farms’ hearing in the town over from mine last week in Fort Edward, New York, at first, I was relieved to see scientist after scientist take the stand to make sound environmental arguments for what a solar project of this size would do to critical grassland and wetland habitat.
It's worse than I thought: thousands of protected acres GONE for a "solar" factory
I jumped into my Jeep with my mother and best friend in tow two days ago, headed for a solar “farms” hearing in the county over from mine.
What's worse, is this obfuscation of redaction has been undertaken to justify a problem that is itself a lie. Global Warming / Climate Change, instead of raising awareness, has been used to cause mass hysteria and become a major lever of mass control. But it didn't happen fast enough so they found their holy grail in the mass hallucination scam of covid. But that's a whole another story. You mentioned you need to fight this in the press. Like I said, it seems to me your predicament can be related to the climate obfuscation that's been plaguing us for decades now and so would benefit from an alliance with Michael Shellenberger and his current reporting on just that. There are other rogue scientists and honest journalists who you could probably get on board. Congrats on the 501 C3.
Thank you for the extraordinary effort you've put into your investigation, it's illuminating just how corrupt the energy industry is becoming.