THOMPSON – A packed room greeted representatives of RWE at the Thompson Town Board meeting Tuesday night as the company presented plans for the proposed Town Line Solar and Storage Project, one of the largest solar projects proposed in Sullivan County.

Some members of the audience held signs opposing the project as company representatives explained the proposal and answered questions from the Town Board.

Town Line Solar would include a 200-megawatt solar facility across a project area of approximately 1,205 acres in the towns of Thompson and Forestburgh. The proposal also calls for a 100-megawatt battery energy storage system capable of storing 400 megawatt-hours of electricity on about five acres. RWE estimates the solar facility could generate electricity equivalent to the annual use of 26,961 homes.

Thompson Town Supervisor Scott Mace introduced Connor Roth, development manager for RWE, and Jim Moscato of the Albany law firm Young/Sommer, which represents RWE through the permitting process.

Roth said he has been working on the Town Line project for about three years. He also gave the audience background on RWE, which was founded in Essen, Germany.

Roth told the board that RWE’s business model is to own and operate its projects long-term rather than develop them and quickly sell them.

The company’s foreign ownership was among concerns raised during the meeting, with residents questioning having a German-based energy company involved with a project covering such a large amount of land in Sullivan County.

RWE also outlined what it sees as benefits of the project. The company projects more than 400 construction jobs, three to six full-time operations jobs and more than 15 part-time operations jobs. RWE also anticipates approximately $21.8 million in direct local benefit payments over 20 years.

However, much of the concern in the room centered on the environment.

Residents raised questions about noise, possible pollution, groundwater, stormwater runoff, wildlife, battery safety and what would happen to the equipment at the end of its useful life.

One issue continued to rise above the others: the loss of forest.

Residents questioned how much woodland would need to be removed within the approximately 1,200-acre project area and what that clearing could mean for wildlife, water and the rural character of Thompson and Forestburgh.

Those concerns have also been heard in Forestburgh. As previously reported by the Sullivan County Democrat, residents there raised concerns about forests, groundwater, stormwater runoff and neighboring properties during an Aug. 6 Town Board meeting.

The issue of land clearing also came up directly Tuesday night.

Thompson Town Board member John Pavese said he was upset that some clearing had already taken place on property connected to the project and questioned RWE about the landowners.

RWE representatives said the company did not want the landowners clearing the property and had asked that it not be done, but some landowners went ahead with clearing on their own.

The Democrat could not confirm by press time which landowner or landowners conducted the clearing.

As previously reported by the Democrat, Forestburgh officials had also said they would look into reports from residents that clearing had already occurred.

According to Radio Catskill, property records and RWE’s application identify several owners connected to the proposed project. Radio Catskill reported that Walter Garigliano controls GAB Land & Timber LLC and GAB Holding LLC, two companies listed as property owners in Thompson. Radio Catskill also reported that Garigliano serves as legal counsel to the Sullivan County Industrial Development Agency.

Garigliano told Radio Catskill that he would not represent or advise the IDA if the project owner sought assistance from the agency.

Not every environmental voice at Tuesday’s meeting saw the project the same way.

Rebekah Creshkoff, co-founder of Sustainable Sullivan, said there was also a question of what could happen to the property if the solar project does not move forward.

“If this project does not go ahead, it’s not gonna stay forest, as we have already seen,” Creshkoff said.

She said the property could eventually be sold for another form of development and noted that higher-density development can also create concerns involving stormwater, sewage, water use and infrastructure.

The project is currently being reviewed by the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission, known as ORES. It is not before the Thompson or Forestburgh town boards for final approval.

According to the timeline presented by RWE, the application was submitted in the third quarter of 2026, with the company expecting a final ORES permit in the second quarter of 2027. RWE anticipates beginning civil site preparation in the fourth quarter of 2027, followed by full construction in the first quarter of 2028. The company’s timeline calls for operations to begin by Dec. 31, 2029.

RWE said its presentation in Thompson was not required as part of the ORES process, but was part of its continued community engagement. The company said the state review process will provide additional opportunities for public input as the project moves forward.