On February 5, 2026, the Town of Ulster Town Board began a 60-day review period for the Draft Scope of Work for the Alcazar Energy Storage System Battery Project proposed at the Coleman High School site at 430 Hurley Avenue. This action initiates the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) scoping process, which assesses potential environmental impacts and identifies ways to avoid, minimize, or mitigate those impacts. Written comments may be submitted any time prior to March 10th at 5pm (when the public process for the scope closes) to the Supervisor at ul**************@*************ny.gov or in-person to the Supervisor at Town Hall.
A public hearing will be held on Monday, February 23, 2026, at 6:00 pm at Town Hall in Lake Katrine. Comments made at this session become part of the official record for the project and will be considered in shaping the scope of the environmental review.
This stage of the SEQR scoping process is the time to evaluate whether the studies proposed so far are adequate or incomplete. Scoping determines which environmental issues must be studied in detail before the project can move forward. Community members are encouraged to review the Draft Scope of Work carefully to identify what is missing, what needs further study, and what questions remain unanswered.
Community members may wish to comment on issues such as:
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The impacts of siting the project next to a residential neighborhood
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Whether alternative locations or site layouts should be studied
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Potential impacts on environmental justice communities
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Fire safety risks and emergency response planning
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Impacts to water resources
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Light and noise pollution
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Traffic and transportation impacts
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Effects on local wildlife and natural resources
Community members are encouraged to place their concerns on the record at the February 23 public scoping hearing, and may also submit written comments through the end of the 60-day scoping period.
We also have prior experience with the SEQR scoping process, including helpful materials from an earlier project. While the project itself was different, the scoping process is the same, and the lessons learned still apply. Resources from that effort include a video and PowerPoint presentation explaining SEQR and the scoping process, prepared for the Lincoln Park Power Plant Project, as well as draft scoping comments submitted by residents and coalition partners. That process also included a public comment brainstorming session, which helped community members think through their concerns, identifying missing studies and prepare effective comments for the official record.
To find all studies relevant to the scoping process for TerraGen/Alcazar:
- Visit Town of Ulster Public Information page
- Scroll down to find “Large Scale Proposed Projects”
- Click on “Alcazar Energy Storage System, LLC”
Questions and Answers Regarding the Scoping Session
If the public wishes to send written public comment for the record on 2/23, what time will it have to get into by on that day? Would they send those comments to you at this address?
Written comments may be submitted any time prior to March 10th at 5pm to the Supervisor via email or in-person to the Supervisor at Town Hall.
Does the 60 calendar-day scoping process end on April 6? Just flagging that that is Monday following Easter Sunday. It wouldn’t hurt to have a little more time so folks aren’t having to jam over the holiday weekend.
The public has until March 10th at 5pm to submit written comments on the draft scope. The 60-day reference in the Town Board’s February 5, 2026 resolution relates to the maximum timeframe within which the Lead Agency, upon receiving a draft scope by an applicant, must adopt a final scope under 6 NYCRR Part 617. That 60-day timeframe is not the length of the public comment period itself.
Can the public provide comments to you right up until the final day of the scoping process? What time do those need to be delivered by on that day, and do those comments all apply to the record like those delivered on the 23rd? What is the difference?
The public has until March 10th at 5pm to submit comments on the draft scoping document. The public cannot provide comments right up until the final day of the scoping process. Written public comments received after the public scoping session and before March 10th will be treated the same as the comments received at or before the public scoping session on February 23, 2026.
Will members of the public be allowed to speak, or is the session for written comment only?
Members of the public can speak, with a timer set to three minutes per speaker.
Will questions be allowed or just statements?
This will not be question-answer period, but expressions of what you believe is an environmental impact to be studied.
Who will be taking the comments?
Representative(s) of LaBella (project planner) will be present to receive comments, along with the town board.
