SOUTHAMPTON — When the Bashista family made the decision to pursue developing a solar array and battery storage system on the land they’ve farmed in town for nearly nine decades, they did not do so lightly.
Recognizing that residents have numerous safety questions about the plan, which is currently working its way through the permitting process with the town of Southampton and has also drawn the attention of neighboring Easthampton, the Bashistas are making a concerted effort to answer them.
In a recent tour of the land with the Gazette, Ron Bashista said the farm’s survival depends in part on the extra revenue that such a system can provide. But like many of his fellow residents, he, too, wants to ensure that the system is safe.
Joining him on the tour of the 53 Pleasant St. site where the array and storage system are to be located were his father, Stephen; his wife, Doreen; his daughter, Tor Bashista-Prouty and Tor’s husband, Gage Bashista-Prouty.
The Bashista proposal is one of several such plans up for consideration in western Massachusetts communities, including in Worthington, Plainfield and elsewhere.
Like Southampton, the Worthington project calls for installation of agrivoltaic panels, while the proposals in Plainfield call for standard solar panels. All of the systems would include battery storage systems.
Bashista plans
The Bashistas, meanwhile, are seeking approval from the town of Southampton to install the agrivoltaic solar array and battery energy storage systems (BESS) on land at 53 and 43 Pleasant St. where they grow hay and corn. The project would encompass 40 acres, 22 of which would be covered by arrays.
Ron Bashista said if approved by the town, the family will enter a lease agreement with BlueWave of Boston to build a 5.49-megawatt solar array and battery system. The lease would last at least 20 years with two, five-year extension options, and the whole system would be removed after the lease expires.
“But in the meantime, that will give me the opportunity to save some money and improve the farm,” said Ron Bashista, whose grandparents opened the family-owned farm in 1938. Currently, the farm only employs family members.
The town’s Conservation Commission recently reviewed the application at its Jan. 5 meeting, drawing some 50 residents to a public hearing. Some of those residents pushed back against the project and some were just seeking more information.
In addition to the arrays, the project calls for installation of two separate lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries that are about the size of a parking space in an outdoor solar energy storage pad that is about 100 by 50 feet.
In a written statement sent to the Gazette from BlueWave, it states, “While the project does include a battery component that increases the amount of clean energy the project is able to provide to the grid, this is a small portion of the solar project. We recognize that community members have questions and value continued conversation, and we remain committed to transparency and open collaboration with residents and local officials as the project moves through the local review process.”
BlueWave is also seeking permission for the Worthington project.
At the Jan. 5 meeting in Southampton, people were concerned about potential dangers to the Barnes Aquifer, which lies beneath the Bashista farm, as well as environmental impacts with turtle habitats and wetlands on-site and worries of a potential battery fire.
“It was quite a surprise, some of the pushback,” Ron Bashista said. “But I also understand when it comes to batteries everyone wants to make sure it’s safe.”
He said he knows that people are also concerned about the view, but if the farm doesn’t make the extra revenue from the solar project, then the family will have to continue to sell pieces of land it owns. That, in turn, will one day lead to no view at all, he said.
Many residents said that the Bashistas are good neighbors, with one resident saying they know Ron’s father Stephen Bashista — who is 83 years old — has to pay taxes for the land and has to work in 90-degree weather during the summer. Another said they know the system will save money for the family.
“I hope we can get what’s happening here without upsetting everybody,” Stephen Bashista said.
That is exactly part of the appeal for the family. Ron Bashista said the family sees the land as “a relative to the family,” but unfortunately, they have had to consistently sell off part of the property over the years to keep the farm afloat.
“I’m not sure what percentage it’s going to be, but it’s substantial,” Ron Bashista said about the savings the system will provide the farm.
With those savings, the family plans to expand the farm’s crops and plan future projects to stay in business.
Ron Bashista explained that while the arrays would cover the crops, they are about 10 to 15 feet off the ground, so there is space for crops to grow underneath and around them. He said the payout will outweigh the very small amount of crops they will lose from the panels.
Ron said he started researching solar farming options several years ago, looking for other ways to generate revenue. The dairy portion of the farm closed in the early 2000s. It has also been the host of corn mazes and other events.
As for the aquifer, Ron Bashista said, “we don’t want to do anything to harm the land, of course … I think there’s a lot of concerns in that and the batteries need to be addressed. We need to make it right for everyone.”
A similar proposed solar array and BESS system in Westfield was shot down after resident pushback. That system was also proposed to be over the Barnes Aquifer, which supplies water to Southampton, Westfield, Easthampton and Holyoke.
Ron Bashista said there are already a lot of potential dangers to the aquifer, including lawn fertilizers and weed killers many homeowners use on their own property.
“I think there’s a lot of other things that are going on,” Ron Bashista said about the aquifer. “As far as the farm here, it doesn’t have much of an effect on us, the aquifer itself. We’ve never been overly concerned or told we couldn’t use some particular chemical or anything like that.”
Tor Bashista-Prouty, who studied biology in college, said the proposed solar system is unique in that it’s proposed over the aquifer, and there is not a lot of research about the effects a system like this would have. They said that agrivoltaic arrays actually improve crop soil health, providing shade that maintains moisture.
“The soil underneath agrivoltaic systems tends to retain more moisture and nutrients because it’s not getting baked away in the sun all day. So I’m not sure how that excess moisture would also impact the aquifer as well,” they said.
The project is on the radar of neighboring communities. Easthampton’s Aquifer Protection Committee will discuss potential impacts from the system to the aquifer at its meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 11 a.m.
Overall, the Bashistas are willing to talk about the project with residents and hope BlueWave follows all town approval steps moving forward. Ron said he has talked with some neighbors and hopes to speak with more moving forward.
“It extends beyond the farm,” Tor Bashista-Prouty said about the family’s community involvement. “If we see a branch down, we’re gonna move it. If we see something awry, we’re gonna make it right. We’re gonna do what we have to do. Because it’s not just this piece of land that we love. It’s the town.”
