Village Officials Pan PSE&G Solar Panel Project

Who can be opposed to going green these days? Chevy Volts populate the highways, recycling bins fill to the brim, there are earth-friendly light bulbs in homes (and high school stadiums too!), and kids compost their own food–there's perhaps a greater focus on preserving the earth than ever before.

So you might be surprised to learn the village's governing body had fairly tepid responses to the possibility of creating a more solar-powered village.

In cash strapped times, where layoffs are common vernacular and immediate returns on investments seldom top the upfront payments, the village council has done little to endorse solar plans forced upon them by PSE&G.

The public utility serving the area began installing solar panels onto utility poles last month, a project scheduled to be completed in 2013.

Essentially, PSE&G is installing large 60 pound trays onto the poles at specific village-owned right-of-ways it says to combat climate change.

The utility says it will get massive federal credits and eventually the savings from electricity generated will trickle back to ratepayers though it won't really hit the wallet of Ridgewood customers, local officials say. Rather, it may amount to a dollop for the state over the course of decades, but not much locally.

"The Village Manager [Ken Gabbert] requested that PSE&G stop until several key questions are answered regarding the installations," Village Engineer Chris Rutishauser said in an e-mail to Patch.

The village says it has numerous concerns over safety, liability and impact on property value, concerns it's discussed in private with PSE&G and publicly at council meetings.

The village owns portions of the poles receiving the installations and there are prevailing thoughts the village's Gamewell fire alarm system–generally the third set of wires going up the pole–could be interfered with or damaged. Who would incur that cost should something happen? For now, unknown, hence the village's inquiry (among other reasons).

"Our concerns are when our staff has to access our Gamewell wiring with our bucket trucks," Rutishauser said. "At present, PSE&G’s contractor determines a site and installs a panel immediately," adding that "PSE&G feels the BPU [Board of Public Utilities] gave them all of the permission they needed" to install the panels on village-owned right-of-ways.

Work has reportedly halted–though seven panels are up–and Deputy Mayor Tom Riche has publicly rallied against the installations, calling them "hideous," a sentiment shared by officials in other municipalities, even eco-friendly Wyckoff Township Commiteeman Brian Scanlan and officials in neighboring Glen Rock.

Beyond substantive legal and safety issues, installing the panels could lower property values, according to the village. Village Manager Ken Gabbert has asked PSE&G not to install panels in the Historic Preservation District and has also requested advance notice and approval of sites PSE&G selects for installation going forward.

Despite the acrimony and dislike over a project officials seem to have minimal control over, Rutishauser is optimistic things will work out.

"PSE&G seems to be willing to address the Village’s concerns and to seek panel installation in cooperation with the Village," he said.

PSE&G did not respond to requests for comment as of press time but Rutishauser said Ridgewood has asked PSE&G to make a presentation to the council on the panels.