Tannersville Moves Forward with Solarization of Municipal Buildings

By Max Oppen

TANNERSVILLE — After years of planning and delays, the Village of Tannersville is moving forward with an ambitious solar energy project aimed at powering several municipal buildings entirely through renewable energy. The Village Board recently awarded a contract to Hudson Valley Solar and Wind, LLC, whose bid of $497,000 came in under budget. The only other bid that was submitted too late was not considered.

The project is being funded through the New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), a $10 million grant designed to enhance the Village's infrastructure and sustainability efforts. Lamont Engineers, P.C., the firm managing the DRI funds' disbursement, oversees the project.

Solar panels will be installed at four key locations:

Village Hall at 1 Park Lane
Pavilion by Rip Van Winkle Lake at 27 Upper Lake Road
Gooseberry Park at 33 Upper Lake Road
New Trailhead Parking Area at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and South Main Street

Once operational, the photovoltaic arrays will generate enough energy to cover the full municipal power usage, including streetlights. This move is part of Tannersville's ongoing commitment to sustainability, aiming to reduce its carbon footprint and reinvest utility cost savings into future green initiatives.

This solar project has been in the works since 2023, when a previous bid was accepted under then-Mayor Lee McGunnigle's administration. That bid was received and was under budget, but according to Mayor Schneider, this is untrue. According to McGunnigle, the project was set to go before the Current Mayor, David Schneider, was elected. The reason for the project not moving forward for two years, according to Mayor David Schneider, was due to a delay in receiving the necessary contracts from New York State. According to McGunnigle, this resulted in a two-year postponement of taxpayer savings.

"I had the NYS Secretary of State on the phone, who said to get the solar project completed, and he would bring the Governor to see it," McGunnigle said. "The new administration was aware of this, and I cannot believe it didn't happen until now."

However, current Mayor David Schneider disputes McGunnigle's account, clarifying that the Village was legally unable to proceed without state approval. "The reason why Lee McGunnigle is the former mayor is because he's not trustworthy or honest. The solar project was part of a grant—the DRI grant. You have to get an estimate to submit for the grant, but you cannot start the project until the state approves it and sends you contracts, which takes time. We are now moving forward. The Village did not miss out on any savings because we could not move forward without the state signing off," Schneider explained.

Dumont says Hudson Valley Wind and Solar LLC is in the process of becoming an MWBE-certified business (Minority and women-owned business enterprises). According to the DRI grant, the Village must hire or contract either MWBE or service-disabled veteran-owned businesses (SDVOB).

The bids were due on January 3, 2025.

This solar initiative is a key part of Tannersville's vision to become a leader in sustainability. After years of delays and political disagreements, the Village is now on track to become a model for renewable energy use in the Northern Catskills. According to Dumont, work on solar will begin this spring. If successful, Tannersville will save on utility costs and inspire surrounding communities to follow suit.