Government & Official Sources
NY State Comptroller
"Profile of Agriculture in New York State" (November 2024)
https://www.osc.ny.gov/files/reports/pdf/profile-of-agriculture-in-nys.pdf
Source for: 0.5% farmland loss from solar, 14% farm decline, NY agriculture statistics
ORES (Office of Renewable Energy Siting)
Shepherd's Run permit documents and proceedings
Source for: Project details, permit conditions, public comments, hearing transcripts
USDA Census of Agriculture
Hudson Valley, NY agricultural data (2012, 2017, 2022)
https://www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus/
Source for: Farm counts, acreage, agricultural trends over time
NYISO (NY Independent System Operator)
Power Trends Report (2024)
https://www.nyiso.com/power-trends
Source for: NY grid composition (48.7% natural gas), electricity generation by source
NY Department of State
Nonprofit corporation records
https://apps.dos.ny.gov/publicInquiry/
Source for: SSRNY registration details (DOS #5851443), registered agent information
News Sources
WNYT (NewsChannel 13)
"Solar farm says 'no obvious damage' following large brush fire" (October 28, 2024)
https://wnyt.com/top-stories/solar-farm-says-no-obvious-damage-following-large-brush-fire/
Source for: Pure Sky Energy statement confirming zero panel damage after Castleton fire
NEWS10 ABC
"Crews extinguish brush fires at Castleton solar farm" (October 2024)
https://www.news10.com/news/rensselaer-county/2-brush-fires-in-castleton-back-to-back/
Source for: Fire department classification as "brush fire"
Times Union
Hudson Valley solar coverage (various)
Source for: Local reaction, ORES proceedings, community debate
Research & Academic
SUNY Albany Atmospheric Science Center
Dr. Richard Perez research on NY solar capacity needs
Source for: 210 GW / 350 sq mile solar requirement for NY climate goals
InSPIRE (Innovative Site Preparation and Impact Reductions on the Environment)
Solar and pollinator habitat research
https://openei.org/wiki/InSPIRE
Source for: Solar farm vegetation management, pollinator benefits, soil health
Industry & Advocacy
NY Farm Bureau
Statements on agricultural decline
Source for: "Steepest decline in the past three decades" characterization
American Farmland Trust
Farmland protection research
Source for: Land conversion data, agricultural economics
Friends of Columbia Solar
Pro-solar advocacy and research
https://www.friendsofcolumbiasolar.org
Source for: Local solar math, ORES comment analysis, Juan-Pablo Velez and Dan Haas statements
Other Sources
FindEnergy.com
Municipal electricity generation data
https://findenergy.com/ny/hudson/
Source for: Hudson has zero electricity generation facilities
EIA (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
State electricity profiles
https://www.eia.gov/electricity/state/
Source for: New York electricity generation mix
Opposition Sources (for reference)
Sensible Solar for Rural New York
Website and public communications
Source for: Opposition claims, framing, arguments being countered
Our Standards
How We Use Sources
- Every factual claim is linked to a verifiable source
- We prefer primary sources (government data, official reports) over secondary
- When sources conflict, we note the discrepancy
- We distinguish between facts and our interpretation
- If we make an error, we correct it publicly
Found an error or have a better source? Contact us.