The Rak 1 and Rak 2 Solar Energy Projects, located on each side of the border between Pomfret and Sheridan near Christy Road, held a ceremony to celebrate the progress of the development.

The project is overseen by CVE North America, led by Technical Director Ben Dereume, and CS Energy, led by Senior Project Manager Eric Green. According to Green, a tentative timeline for completion is set for near Thanksgiving.

“We wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for the commitment from all of you to get us to this point,” Dereume said.

Dereume welcomed everyone in attendance, which included Pomfret town Supervisor Daniel Pacos, Sheridan town Supervisor John Walker II, and landowner Dennis Rak of Double A Vineyards.

Pomfret Town Supervisor Daniel Pacos was the first to sign a solar panel to commemorate the groundbreaking on Wednesday of the solar energy projects in the townships of Pomfret and Sheridan. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

“On behalf of the whole CVE team, it’s truly an honor to be here today,” Dereume said.

Together, the two sites have the capacity to produce more than 15,000 megawatt hours of electricity each year, which would power approximately 2,200 homes annually. More than 12,000 tons of carbon emissions will be avoided annually once the projects are completed. “It’s pretty exciting stuff for us,” Dereume said.

“(The projects) will participate in the New York State Community Solar Program, which will provide discounted electricity bills for 2,200 low-to-middle income residents and subscribers, all local to Western New York,” Dereume added.

The land used for the projects, owned by Rak and Double A Vineyards, was targeted for renewable energy in the past before it was settled on as a solar project. The land is not considered good agricultural land, with the only portion of the land that does contain vineyards set to be reestablished at another site.

“Anybody who’s a farmer knows there is a reason we picked that crop as the site,” said landowner Dennis Rak. “We’re trying to put projects like this on sites where we are not removing agricultural land — that we’re using it for the best purpose.”

CVE North America Technical Director Ben Dereume spoke to the group in attendance to commemorate the occasion. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

The Rak project sites kick off the CVE portfolio of New York projects, including 13 total sites totaling 73 megawatts across the state. “We’re still a relatively small player in the renewable space, but we think that gives us a competitive advantage. It allows us to be flexible with our designs to tailor our solutions to the towns, the communities, the landowners, the farmers, and the local industries where we work,” Dereume said. “That is a mission of CVE – to provide clean, renewable and local power that is consumed close to where it is produced.”

Dereume and CS Energy Vice President Lance Dunning both spoke to the importance of operating with transparency. “I can say with complete confidence that we’re aligned on the mission of operating with integrity and transparency,” said Dereume.

Dunning added, “The way this relationship has been driven is not one of ‘Let’s just get the projects in the ground.’ It’s of ‘How do we do this the right way? How are we good stewards for the community?’ For us, projects like this are what we do every day, it’s how we feed our families. We recognize that the people in these communities also have a very intimate connection. These are not just contracts or designs on a piece of paper, these are neighborhoods and towns. People drive past them every day. We take that responsibility very seriously to make sure that as these are constructed that the day-to-day is protected.”

One by one, every member of the teams and the community in attendance signed one of the solar panels to commemorate the groundbreaking experience, beginning with Pomfret Town Supervisor Daniel Pacos and Sheridan Town Supervisor John Walker II, and ending reluctantly with the OBSERVER, before group photos were taken.

“On behalf of Pomfret, I wanted to thank you all for working so closely with us to follow our regulations and everything we put in place. We put a lot of time and effort and thought into how we wanted to do solar in the town of Pomfret and how it would roll out. The fact that you folks worked so well with us was really appreciated by the town board,” Pacos said to the team members on site.

CS Energy Vice President Lance Dunning also spoke at Wednesday’s groundbreaking event. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

“I can second that. You worked very closely with our planning board, our zoning board. … You were very forthcoming, coming to our board meetings. Hearing from you guys, it sounds like it is going to be a first-class operation,” added Walker.

With any questions about the project, contact CVE at: contacten@cvegroup.com

Sheridan Town Supervisor John Walker II signed a solar panel to commemorate the occasion. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

CS Energy Senior Project Manager Eric Green will manage the projects on a day-to-day basis. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.