Town Line Solar: A Solar-Powered Electric Generation Facility and Battery Energy Storage System
Safe, Reliable Power for Sullivan County and our Future
An example of an array of solar panels.
RWE, the developer of Town Line, is proposing to construct and operate a Solar-Powered Electric Generation Facility and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on property near Rose Valley Road and Cold Spring Road in the Towns of Thompson and Forestburgh.
The solar facility, on 1,200 acres, would be 200 megawatts (a megawatt is 1 million watts). The BESS System, covering five acres, would store 100 megawatts, enough to power 400 megawatt (mWh) hours.
This property currently features multiple large fields and woods, with barns and homes (the homes will be retained). The property’s neighboring features include Mercer Brook to the north, Hiram Jones Road and the Neversink River to the east, Denton Falls Road to the south and Saint Joseph’s Lake to the west.
The application is expected to be submitted in the second or third quarter of 2025, with construction estimated to begin in November 2027. The application, when filed, may be examined during normal business hours at the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission as well as the local library(ies) served. To receive all notices concerning the application, subscribe on the ORES website here and click “Subscribe to Service List” at the top right, in the center blue box.
Map indicates general location of Towns of Forestburgh and Thompson in Sullivan County, N.Y.
April 3, 2025 Open House
To help the community learn more about RWE’s proposed Town Line Solar and Battery Storage project, the team hosted an Open House at Monticello High School on April 3, 2025. Attendees had the opportunity to speak with the Town Line team, ask questions, view renderings, and understand the many benefits and comprehensive safety protections the project would bring to the Towns of Thompson and Forestburgh, as well as Sullivan County. RWE has been meeting with Thompson and Forestburgh’s Town Supervisors, Sullivan County, elected leaders and local firefighters to discuss details of the proposal, safety aspects and economic benefits for all. RWE looks forward to additional community conversations as the proposal advances. The official application will be filed with New York State’s Office of Energy Siting and Electronic Transmission.
Learn more and view a PowerPoint here.
Permitting Review Process
The proposal will undergo permitting review by the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES), which manages all large-scale renewable energy site assessments and approvals in New York. Town Line Solar looks forward to continuing substantial local agency, community, and stakeholder engagement, which began in 2023 and will continue throughout the permitting process and development of the project. Learn more and view documents regarding the project on the ORES website here.
Why New York State Seeks Battery Energy Storage Systems
New York State is committed to evolving its power infrastructure. Solar and BESS systems are key to that transformation. The State’s focus on renewable energy includes the goal of having 6 gigawatts of energy storage by 2030 (a gigawatt is 1 billion watts). Battery systems help stabilize the State’s power supply and gradually decrease the burning of fossil fuels.
An example of an array of solar panels.
