Webster Solar Gardens LLC
Table of Contents
1. Introduction 2. Project Information 3. General Decommissioning & Notification Process 3.1 Equipment Removal 3.2 Environmental Effects 3.3 Site Restoration 3.4 Managing Materials & Waste 4. Costs of Decommissioning 5. Decommissioning Bond Abandonment 6. Existing Conditions, Photo Documentation Exhibit A: Project Site Plan Exhibit B: Decommissioning Bond Exhibit C: Equipment Warranties
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2 3 3 4 4 5-6 6 7 7 8 8-10 Exhibit A Exhibit B Exhibit C
1. Introduction
Webster Solar Garden LLC proposes to build a photovoltaic (PV) solar facility in the Town of Webster under New York State’s distributed generation remote net crediting program. The Solar Facility is planned to have a nameplate capacity of approximately 4.0 megawatts (MW) alternating current (AC) and be built on approximately 19 acres, (of a larger 128-acre parcel), of private land owned by Xerox Corporation (the “Site”). This Decommissioning Plan (“Plan”) provides an overview of activities that will occur during the decommissioning phase of a Solar Facility, including activities related to the restoration of land, the management of materials and waste, projected costs, and a decommissioning fund agreement overview. The Solar Facility will have a maturity date of twenty-five (25) years, with the possibility of two five (5) year extensions, (“Project Maturity Date”). The Solar Facility has an estimated useful lifetime of 35 years. This Plan assumes that a Solar Facility will be dismantled and the Site restored to a state similar to its preconstruction condition at the Project Maturity Date. The Plan also covers the case of the abandonment of a Solar Facility, for any reason, prior to the Project Maturity Date. Decommissioning of the Solar Facility will include the disconnection of the Solar Facility from the electrical grid and the removal of all Solar Facility components, including: • Photovoltaic (PV) modules, panel racking and supports • Inverter units, medium voltage equipment, and other electrical equipment related to the Project • Conduit, wiring cables, communications equipment, Project-owned utility poles • Concrete foundations This decommissioning plan is based on current best management practices and procedures and may be subject to revision based on new standards and emergent best management practices at the time of decommissioning. Permits will be obtained as required and notification will be given to stakeholders prior to decommissioning.
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2. Project Information: Webster Solar Garden LLC Address: Tax ID: Project Size: Project Site Plan: Landowner: Lease: Initial Project Maturity Date:
750 Phillips Road, Webster NY 064.02-1-40.11 5.26 MW-dc/ 4.0 MW-ac Attached- Exhibit A Xerox 25-Year Lease, two optional 5-Year extensions 2051(25-Years after initial operation)
Contact: Address: Telephone: Email:
Webster Solar Garden LLC Daniel Montante, Owner 2760 Kenmore Ave., Buffalo NY 14150 716-876-8899 X121 dmontante@montante.com
Legal inquiries should be directed to: Blaine S. Schwartz, Partner Lippes Matthias 50 Fountain Plaza, Suite 1700 Buffalo NY 14202-2216 Phone: 716-853-5100 x1374 Email: bschwartz@lippes.com
3. General Decommissioning and Notification Process Prior to decommissioning, a Change in Use Notification will need to be filed with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), as this site has ongoing monitoring and oversight by the Department. Any considerations, means and/or methods recommended by NYSDEC at the time of decommissioning will be incorporated into the Decommissioning Plan. After the Change in Use Notification is reviewed and accepted by NYSDEC, all necessary permits for the dismantling of the System will be procured including building permits through the Town of Webster. At the time of decommissioning the installed components will be removed, reused, disposed of, and recycled, where possible. The Facility Site will be restored to a state similar to its pre-construction condition. All removal of equipment will be done in accordance with any applicable regulations and manufacturer recommendations.
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3.1 Equipment Dismantling and Removal- Order of Operations: Generally, the decommissioning of a Solar Facility proceeds in the reverse order of the installation: 1. The Solar Facility shall be disconnected from the utility power grid. 2. PV modules shall be disconnected, collected, and disposed of at an approved solar module recycler or reused, where possible. 3. All aboveground and underground electrical interconnection and distribution cables shall be removed and disposed of off-site by an approved facility. 4. Galvanized steel PV module support and racking system support posts shall be removed and recycled by an approved facility. 5. Electrical and electronic devices, including transformers and inverters shall be removed and disposed of off-site by an approved facility. 6. Concrete foundations shall be broken up, removed and disposed of off-site. 7. Fencing is a requirement of the NYSDEC Site Closure Plan for this landfill cap located on this parcel. Array fencing will either remain intact, or be dismantled and disposed of. Should it be dismantled, in its place new fencing shall be installed directly around the capped landfill and per required by NYSDEC. 3.2 Environmental Effects Decommissioning activities, particularly the removal of project components could result in environmental effects like those of the construction phase. For example, there is the potential for disturbance (erosion/sedimentation/fuel spills) to adjacent watercourses or significant natural features. Mitigation measures like those employed during the construction phase of the Solar Facility will be implemented, with a SWPPP or Sediment and Erosion Control Plan submitted to the Town Engineer for review and approval. Such mitigation measures will remain in place until the site is stabilized to ensure any potential erosion, silt/sediment runoff, or other impacts to the Facility Site, or the significant natural resources located adjacent. Due to the environmental legacy of this site, any exposed soils during System Decommissioning will be tested by an environmental monitor. Soils will remain on site, where possible, or spoils will be appropriately recorded, removed, and disposed of. Road traffic will temporarily increase due to the movement of decommissioning crews and equipment along with an increase in particle matter (dust) in adjacent areas during the decommissioning phase. Decommissioning activities may lead to temporary elevated noise levels from heavy machinery and an increase in trips to 4
the project location. Work will be undertaken during daylight hours and conform to any applicable noise and work restrictions. 3.3 Site Restoration Through the decommissioning phase, the Facility Site will be restored to a state similar to its pre-construction condition. All project components (see Table 1) will be removed. Rehabilitated lands may be seeded with a low-growing species such as clover to help stabilize soil conditions, enhance soil structure, and increase soil fertility. Table 1: Management of Excess Materials & Waste Material / W
Means of Managing Excess Materials and Waste
PV panels
If there is no possibility for reuse, the panels will be transported off-site to be sent back to the manufacturer, recycled, reused, or safely disposed offsite in accordance with current standards and best practices. These materials will be recycled off-site at an approved facility; most metals have salvage value The small amount of oil from the transformers will be removed on-site to reduce the potential for spills and will be transported to an approved facility for disposal. The substation transformer and step-up transformers in the inverter units will be transported off-site to be sent back to the manufacturer, recycled, reused, or safely disposed off-site in accordance with current standards and best practices. The metal components of the inverters, fans and fixtures will be disposed of or recycled, where possible. Remaining components will be disposed of in accordance with the standards of the day. The material will be removed from the project location by truck to a location where the aggregate can be processed for salvage. It will then be reused as fill for construction. It is not expected that any such material will be contaminated, however all gravel sampling will occur prior to removal to ensure. Should contamination be found, gravel will be removed and disposed of offsite at an approved facility. Concrete foundations will be broken down and transported by certified and licensed contractors to a recycling or approved disposal facility. It will then be reused as fill for construction.
Metal array mounting racks and steel supports Transformers and substation components
Inverters, fans, fixtures
Gravel (or other granular)
Concrete inverter/transformer Foundations
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Cables and wiring
Fencing
Debris
The electrical line that connects the substation to the point of common coupling will be disconnected and disposed of at an approved facility. Support poles, if made of untreated wood, will be chipped for reuse. Associated electronic equipment (isolation switches, fuses, metering) will be transported off-site to be sent back to the manufacturer, recycled, reused, or safely disposed off-site in accordance with current standards and best practices. Fencing is required to stay in place as the site is an area of ongoing environmental monitoring, per NYSDEC. Should fencing be removed, new fencing surrounding monitored area(s) would need to be reinstalled. Any remaining debris on the site will be separated into recyclables/residual wastes and will be transported from the site and managed as appropriate.
3.4 Managing Materials and Waste During the decommissioning phase a variety of excess materials and waste (listed in Table 1) will be generated. Most of the materials used in a Solar Facility are reusable or recyclable. Any remaining materials will be removed and disposed of off-site at an appropriate facility. Contractor will prioritizing local manufacturers, subcontractors, waste firms, and recycling facilities to segregate material to be disposed of, recycled, or reused. Webster Solar Garden LLC will be responsible for the logistics of collecting and recycling the PV modules and minimizing the potential for modules to be discarded in municipal waste stream. Due to a recent increase in the use of solar energy technology, many panels from a variety of projects will be nearing the end of their lifespan. It is anticipated there will be more recycling options available for solar modules at that time. Disposing of the solar modules will be done using best management practices at the time of decommissioning.
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4. Costs of Decommissioning The costs below are the current estimated costs to decommission the Webster Solar Garden LLC Solar Facility. The salvage values of valuable recyclable materials (aluminum, steel, copper, etc) are not factored into the below costs. The scrap value will be determined on current market rates at the time of salvage. Item of Work
Labor
Equipment
Transport
Total
Panel Removal
$
20,800
$
4,000
$
24,000
$
48,000
DC Wire Removal
$
8,000
$
2,000
$
2,000
$
11,600
Racking Removal
$
27,200
$
6,000
$
9,600
$
41,600
Foundation Removal
$
46,000
$
18,000
$
30,000
$
94,080
AC Equipment Removal
$
6,400
$
10,000
$
4,800
$
19,200
AC Wire Removal
$
4,000
$
1,000
$
800
$
4,800
Pole & Pole Top Removal
$
10,000
$
4,000
$
2,000
$
16,000
Equipment Pad Removal
$
2,000
$
6,000
$
2,000
$
10,000
Landscape Restoration
$
18,000
$
5,000
$
0
$
23,000
Total
$
141,680
$
51,400
$
75,200
$
268,280
+2 % Annual Escalation over 35 years
$
536,069
+ 115%: Bond Value
$
616,479
*Fence stays intact unless otherwise directed by NYSDEC
1 2 3 4 5
Annual Bond Value (2% Esc. +115% Adder) $ 308,522 $ 314,692 $ 320,986 $ 327,406 $ 333,954
6 7 8 9 10 11
$ $ $ $ $ $
Year
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340,633 347,446 354,395 361,483 368,712 376,087
12 13 14
$ $ $
383,608 391,280 399,106
25 26 27
$ $ $
496,238 506,163 516,286
15 16 17 18 19 20
$ $ $ $ $ $
407,088 415,230 423,535 432,005 440,645 449,458
28 29 30 31 32 33
$ $ $ $ $ $
526,612 537,144 547,887 558,845 570,022 581,422
21 22 23 24
$ $ $ $
458,447 467,616 476,969 486,508
34 35
$ $
593,051 604,912
5. Decommissioning Bond A decommissioning bond will guarantee that monies are available to perform the facility decommissioning. The bond will be held by [insurance company] and will list the both Xerox Corporation and Town of Webster as a beneficiary on the decommissioning bond. Prior to project construction, a decommissioning bond shall be posted in an amount equal to 115% of the annually adjusted estimated decommissioning cost. An updated bond amount shall be maintained to reflect annual cost adjustments. A copy of the Decommissioning Bond will be provided to the Town of Webster to keep on file. Terms of the Decommissioning Bond: • Shall be irrevocable and shall expressly state that it may not be terminated or cancelled • Must be held in place by the surety during construction and throughout the entire operation of the System • Shall increase by 2% from the previous year’s value to account for inflation • Shall be reassessed every 10 years by a third-party licensed engineer to confirm decommissioning estimates are still accurate o Any increase in value will require an updated Decommissioning Bond • Value of the Decommissioning Bond will be 115% of the estimated value; Estimate to be confirmed by a third-party licensed engineer 5.1 Abandonment Before Maturity If the Solar Facility is not operational for longer than a 12-month consecutive operations period, the Facility will be considered to have been Abandoned. In case of Abandonment of the Solar Facility before its Project Maturity Date, the same decommissioning procedures as for decommissioning after ceasing operation will be undertaken and the same decommissioning and restoration program will be honored. The Town will have the ability to draw on the Project’s Decommissioning Bond and pay to have the Project Decommissioned.
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6. Existing Conditions, Drone Photos
Looking south from the north of the site
Looking east to west of the site
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Looking east to west on the project site
Looking south to north of the project site.
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Project Site Plan
To be completed after review/approval by Town of Webster 11
Decommissioning Bond
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