The Red Hook Town Board on May 13 rejected several noncompliant bids for a proposed community solar project on the Cookingham site, authorized a new solicitation and approved bond authorization to keep the project moving forward.

The board said some bids were rejected for having contingencies the town could not accept; those rejections triggered a new solicitation with a deadline moved to May 27 at 1 p.m. Resolution 33 (bid rejection and re-solicitation) was approved by majority vote.

Supervisor Robert McKeehan told the board the project aims to expand the town's existing community solar capacity and offer discounted electricity to local subscribers. He said subscribers to the first community solar installation pay a combined delivery-and-supply rate of 11.6'cents per kilowatt-hour under a 25-year purchase and sale agreement, compared with roughly 19'cents per kWh paid to the local utility over the past 12 months.

The town has already received grants and other support for the project. McKeehan said the town has about $275,000 in grants for interconnection study and upgrades and expects direct-pay federal incentives and state rebates that could total more than $600,000'$700,000. The town estimated a total project budget "just under $2,000,000" and said it would likely borrow about $1.82 million; the net cost to the town after grants and incentives was discussed as roughly a little more than $1 million in town documents.

The board approved a bond resolution (Resolution 34) authorizing borrowing to finance the project; board members said they expect federal and state incentives (including direct-pay provisions created by changes in federal law) and rebates to materially reduce net costs. The bond authorization passed unanimously.

Board members said rebidding allows the town to require firm, noncontingent pricing and ensure timely compliance with interconnection and tariff conditions. The Town Clerk and staff will publish the revised solicitation and distribute plans to bidders. Town officials said they expect the second solicitation to enable enrollment of roughly 80'90 more households in the town's community solar program.

The board also noted that warranties and equipment lifespans will be included in bid materials and available for review when responsive bids are received. The supervisor asked interested residents to sign up for the town's notifications list to receive documents and updates.

Votes on the two resolutions were recorded at the meeting.