AES celebrates completion of solar projects in Albion, Barre

Photos by Tom Rivers

BARRE – Staff of AES Clean Energy gather for a group photo this afternoon in Barre in front of the Baird Solar Project.

AES celebrated the completion of that project as well as the Laubacher Solar Project in Albion at 3858 Gaines Basin Rd.

The Baird project is on land owned by Josh Baird. The solar panels have a capacity to generate 4.5 megawatts of electricity. The project covers 27 acres at 4320 Oak Orchard Rd. The site allows AES to tap directly into a 13.2-kilovolt distribution line. The project doesn’t include battery storage.

There are 14,118 solar panels and they are surrounded with a 7-foot-high perimeter chain link fence as part of Baird Solar, which is on Route 98 in the northern part of Barre.

The company’s landscape plan includes 191 deciduous and evergreen trees along with 92 shrubs and pollinators.

Donna Laubacher, left, speaks during a reception today celebrating the completion of the two AES solar projects.

Laubacher said she hopes the project will make electricity more accessible for people in the community.

The Laubacher project is on 15.6 acres of land south of Allen Road in Albion. The 2.5 megawatt solar system uses about 8,100 solar panels.

The landscaping plan includes 470 deciduous and evergreen trees with 183 Northern White Cedars, along with shrubs and pollinators.

AES is working on two much larger solar projects with construction expected to start next year and be complete in late 2027.

AES is the developer of Hemlock Ridge Solar, a 200 megawatt solar project in Barre and Shelby that will be along Crane, Townline and Burns roads near the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. Hemlock Ridge is about 5 miles southeast of Medina.

AES also is working to develop Somerset Solar, a 125 megawatt project in the Town of Somerset in Niagara County. Some of the facility will on the site of a former coal plant, Somerset Station.