Community Pushback Mounts Against Proposed Catskills Solar Project

FORESTBURGH, N.Y. – Community pushback is growing against the 1,200-acre Town Line solar project proposed in Sullivan County.

More than 40 people packed the standing-room only town hall meeting in Forestburgh on Thursday night to speak out against the plan. The solar developer RWE filed its application with New York State on July 20 to build a 200 megawatt solar energy and 100 megawatt battery energy storage facility in the towns of Thompson and Forestburgh.

Joanne Jasper, who lives along the border of Thompson and Forestburgh, is worried about the environmental impacts the proposal may have. The proposed project area includes 133 wetlands, 9 ponds, 27 vernal pools, and 83 stream segments, including Melody Lake, according to application documents.

“I just think that people need to really get involved and think long and hard about protecting our forests, our wetlands, and our ecosystem,” said Jasper, whose family has been in Sullivan County since the 1840s. “You cannot have a healthy county if you don’t have a healthy environment. Once you deplete your forests and your water, what do you have left?”

The developer RWE previously told Radio Catskill that the project will help meet the state’s electricity demand and decarbonization goals while strengthening local infrastructure.

“New York’s growing demand for electricity requires practical solutions that can come online quickly and safely,” said John Lamontagne, a spokesperson for RWE.

“The Town Line Solar and Battery Energy Storage project will help meet that need while strengthening local infrastructure, enhancing energy reliability and delivering meaningful benefits to Sullivan County — including tens of millions in new tax revenue over the life of the project to support schools, first responders, and community priorities in Thompson and Forestburgh.”

READ: The Catskills’ Largest Proposed Solar Project Draws Environmental and Ethical Concerns

Town of Forestburgh Supervisor Dan Hogue said the decision isn’t up to the Town. New York’s Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES) – the state agency that manages siting permits – ultimately approves or denies the permit.

“ If I could wave a wand and say, ‘No, this sucks. Let it go away,’ I would, but I can’t. I think it’s a huge footprint [and] a lot of deforestation,” said Hogue.

Some studies suggest that solar’s threat to the state’s agriculture could be overstated. A recent Cornell University study found that farmland owners were more likely to be approached by solar developers than non-farmland owners but were less likely to sign leases.

Town of Thompson Supervisor Scott Mace said during the meeting that RWE plans to join the next Town of Thompson board meeting on Aug. 18 at 7 p.m.

Image: Residents packed the Town of Forestburgh Town Hall on August 6, 2026 (Photo Credit: Kimberly Izar)