BY ADAM ATKINSON

North County This Week

CANTON – The Canton town board has established an escrow account for funds from U.S. Light Energy to pay for studies and other third-party work required to consider the firm’s plans to construct a commercial solar operation at 161 Meade Road.

U.S. Light Energy is planning to construct a 5 MW solar farm on a 33-acre lot of primarily agricultural land, with about two acres of woodland and some wetlands, leased from Brian Brewer.

Under the municipality's solar energy law, solar companies are required to supply the town with 1 percent of the project cost (in this case  $9 million), to fund any analysis or consultation on the project by the town.

The town board approved setting up the account at their meeting Feb. 11.

The project is a concern for Pam and Jim Rose who live next to the lot in question and operate their business Boyden Brooks Body Works at the site. Access to the solar farm would be along a right-of-way across the Rose property. Several town planning board meetings have been held concerning the issue, and the county planning department has also reviewed the early plans for the project.

Most recently, the town planning board charged the town attorney to review the right-of-way question, and the town was to consult with an independent engineering firm about the project. The money from U.S. Light Energy in the newly formed account will be used to fund that review.

The planning board is set to meet again about the project on Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m.

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