Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Coxsackie Village Board has unanimously approved an agreement with Hecate [HEK-uh-tee] Energy for a 50-megawatt solar farm. The project, proposed for about 400 acres on Farm to Market Road, will use approximately 170,000 solar panels. “We’ve been involved with the Hecate solar project since the beginning,” Coxsackie Mayor Mark Evans said. The project originally called for solar arrays to be located within the village boundary, but they have since been removed from the proposal, Evans said. However, the visual impact for village residents remains a concern, the mayor said. He said the agreement includes vegetation screening and setbacks. Hecate’s application was ruled complete by the state Board on Electric Siting and the Environment in September, and the company should receive its certificate later this year. Construction is slated to begin in the spring, project developer Alex Campbell said. Chicago-based Hecate proposed a $4 million to $6 million local revenue program, to be allocated to the town, school, county, fire department, ambulance squad and library over the project’s 35-year lifespan. The facility is expected to begin operating in 2022. At the conclusion of the project, Hecate will recycle the project materials and restore the property to its previous condition. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.