A Tale of Two Currents: High-Voltage Ambition vs. High-Country Heritage - Harpersfield Planning Board Greenlights Triple-Project "Action"

HARPERSFIELD—The Town of Harpersfield Planning Board, acting as the lead agency, has officially issued a Negative Declaration for the Bruce Hill Road C Solar project (also known as "Blue Wave C"). This critical determination concludes that the 5.3 MW utility-scale facility will not have a significant adverse environmental impact on the region.

In a notable move toward comprehensive oversight, the Planning Board evaluated this application in direct connection with two prior approvals on the same 471-acre site: Bruce Hill Road A (5 MW) and Bruce Hill Road B (3 MW). Collectively referred to as the "Action," these three interconnected projects will see standalone ground-mounted panels and infrastructure developed on a 30-acre portion of the property located at 56 Railroad Avenue. By treating these as a single collective impact, the Board has established a major renewable energy hub in Delaware County, signaling a shift in how the town manages its large-scale land use.

The "Mile Hill" / Harpersfield Project

Often cited as the Bruce Hill Road Solar Projects (split into three phases: A, B, and C). the panels are situated on the northern and eastern slopes of Mile Hill, visible from Route 23 between Stamford and Harpersfield. The land is owned by Eklund Farm Machinery and managed by BlueWave Solar (legally operating under names like BWC Rexmere Lakes, LLC and BWC Bassett Brook, LLC).

Community Concerns:

Members of the Stamford Neighbors’ Facebook group expressed concerns that the 20-year lifespan of the panels will eventually result in "acres and acres of toxic hazardous waste" containing heavy metals. Local commenters questioned the benefit to Delaware County, suggesting the waste disposal costs might fall on taxpayers and that the projects may not benefit the local community. There is active local interest in the Full Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) and the "Negative Declaration" issued by the Harpersfield Planning Board. 

Facebook can be a digital amphitheater of crowded, loud, and often discordant voices. Yet it remains a vital open forum where the collective voice of a community can challenge the status quo and demand local accountability.

The criticism surrounding the decommissioning of the Harpersfield solar panel project—specifically the BWC Rexmere Lakes, BWC Bassett Brook, and Odell Lake sites on Bruce Hill Road—centered on the transparency and sufficiency of financial securities to ensure land restoration. Concerns were raised regarding whether required decommissioning bonds had been fully executed for all project phases and what specific total amount was held to protect the town from the future costs of equipment removal. In response to these community and journalistic inquiries, the Harpersfield Village Trustees (the Town Board) confirmed that a total bond amount of $285,706.52 has been provided to secure the eventual decommissioning of the project.

A Legacy of Local Resistance

The current expansion in Harpersfield mirrors historical battles in nearby Cobleskill. At the intersection of Route 145 and Middleburgh, the Rock District Solar Project became a symbol of this struggle. Spanning over 300 acres across the Towns of Carlisle and Seward, that facility faced intense scrutiny for its placement on prime agricultural land situated above a sensitive karst aquifer system. Much like the current Blue Wave debate, regional critics have long argued that utility-scale solar can threaten both the local water supply and the farming future of the valley.

Utility-scale solar refers to large-scale photovoltaic (PV) or concentrated solar power (CSP) installations that generate a significant amount of electricity—typically 5 megawatts (MW) or more—intended to be sold directly to the wholesale utility grid rather than being consumed by a single building or home.

Unlike "behind-the-meter" residential or commercial solar, utility-scale projects act as centralized power plants, often spanning dozens or hundreds of acres and providing power for thousands of utility customers.

The Bruce Hill Road solar projects (Phases A, B, and C) meet the definition of utility-scale solar because they function as a centralized power plant designed to support the broader energy grid rather than a single local property.

According to project filings and local reports, the project fits this classification for a number of reasons:

• Significant Energy Capacity: The combined capacity of the three phases is approximately 13–14 megawatts (MW). In the industry, projects exceeding 5 MW are generally classified as utility-scale because they generate more power than a typical residential or small commercial "distributed generation" system. 
• Wholesale Grid Distribution: The energy generated on Mile Hill is fed directly into the NYSEG (New York State Electric & Gas) transmission system. This means the electricity is sold to the wholesale market to be used by utility customers throughout the region, rather than being "behind-the-meter" for the Eklund farm. 
• Physical Footprint: The project occupies a massive geographic area. Bruce Hill Road C alone covers roughly 35 acres, while the total project site spans hundreds of acres of the Eklund property. Utility-scale projects are defined by this intensive use of land to house thousands of individual photovoltaic panels.
• Project Classification: During the environmental review, the Harpersfield Planning Board designated the project as a Type I Action under SEQRA. This classification is reserved for large-scale projects that have the potential for significant environmental impact, a common trait of utility-scale infrastructure.

The roots of this resistance stretch back even further to earlier attempts at wind energy. Residents still recall the proposed wind turbine project intended for the ridgeline of the Albano Dairy Farm on Route 23 in Stamford. The Albano family, who has farmed the region for decades, found their ridgeline at the center of a debate over the industrialization of the Catskill peaks. While the wind project was ultimately sidelined, it laid the groundwork for today’s skepticism regarding large-scale energy infrastructure replacing active pastures.

The "Forest Bill" and the Battle for Public Land

The Harpersfield "Action" arrives at a critical legislative juncture for New York. In early 2026, New York Senate Bill S4408—commonly known as the "Forest Bill"—sparked a massive backlash. The original proposal sought to open over 600,000 acres of State Reforestation Lands to renewable energy developers, allowing them to bypass local approval to build solar and wind farms.

Critics argued that this would lead to widespread deforestation and the fragmentation of vital wildlife corridors. Following intense community pressure, the bill was amended in April 2026. The revised language now strictly limits developers to using state forest lands for interconnection and transmission (power lines) rather than siting actual solar arrays on protected public ground.

Implications for the Future

The resolution of the Forest Bill has shifted the "solar gold rush" even more firmly onto private lands like those at Bruce Hill Road. Because the state has restricted building on public forests, developers are doubling down on large private tracts. This places the responsibility of environmental stewardship squarely on local Planning Boards.

As Harpersfield moves forward with the Blue Wave project, it serves as a live case study for the Northern Catskills: the town is attempting to meet the state’s 2030 renewable mandates while navigating the very real concerns of forest canopy loss and agricultural heritage. For many in Delaware County, the Harpersfield Planning Board’s decision is a reminder that while public land may be protected, the transformation of the private rural landscape is accelerating.