Murray’s proposal for 12-month moratorium on solar, renewable energy passes county
MURRAY – The Town of Murray is planning a 12-month moratorium on any applications for solar, wind, biomass or alternative sources of renewable energy.
Town officials want to look at Murray’s current ordinance for renewable energy and see if any updates are needed. The town may not take the full 12 months for a review of its ordinance for alternative energy, said Paul Hendel, a town councilman and Orleans County Planning Board member.
He spoke during last week’s Planning Board meeting, when the county recommended Murray approve the moratorium. No applications for renewable energy projects will be accepted or reviewed while the town has the moratorium.
This doesn’t apply to projects where the power is used for a homeowner. It only includes energy that is marketed or sold.
Alternative energy, especially solar, increasingly is being sought in Orleans County. Last week the County Planning Board reviewed four solar projects, with two in Albion, and one in Carlton and another in Kendall.
“As you can see renewable energy is active in many towns in the county,” Hendel said. “We want to take a pause and look at other towns’ laws to see if a rewrite is necessary.”
