So when a natural gas peaker plant project with battery storage was scheduled for construction on some of Ulster’s cherished natural land in 2018, the thought of Ulster’s natural beauty coming under threat made Laura spring into action.
“The power plant construction was scheduled to take place on preserved wetlands with lots of nature, natural ecosystems, and many different species of bats,” Laura told us. “It would have been horrible.”
Laura got to work and reached out to residents in the neighborhood who would be affected by the power plant, including Regis Obijiski, who lived right across the street from where it was contracted to be built.
Recognizing the power plant’s threat to nature and Ulster residents’ quality of life, Regis offered to help out however he could. Thus, Regis became a co-leader of the group that is now TownOfUlsterCitizens.Org.
“The next thing you know, I had a meeting with about 10 people at my house who all felt as though something needed to be done,” Laura told us. “And that’s how TownOfUlsterCitizens.Org began.”
Ulster was chosen as a site for the project because of its highly-ranked air quality. Why? “The developers thought the town could ‘afford’ the pollutants,” Laura told us. “There were gasps in the room when we heard that was the reason why,” she said.
The group got to work emailing Ulster’s town supervisor and encouraging others, including those in the neighboring town of Kingston, to do the same. Second, the group attended town meetings to express their concerns about the environmental impact, decreasing property values, and the legitimacy of the company involved.
TownOfUlsterCitizens.Org even requested a zoning clarification from the Zoning Board of Appeals. The request was denied at first; however, the group kept pushing, re-submitted a request, and eventually influenced officials to grant the land protection.
It took 18 months, but TownOfUlsterCitizens.Org was able to get the project limited to just a battery-storage facility, and got it moved to a location farther from neighborhoods and wildlife. “It was our first big win as an organization,” Laura shared, “It took a lot of work, but it was a huge accomplishment.”
Although those working to shut down the project held similar values, they were not all acting for the same reasons. “People came from different places here,” Regis told us. “A few of us are more environmentally-conscious than others, but you have to meet people where they are. If somebody doesn’t care about the environment, but really cares about their property value, then you appeal to that. We had people all doing the right thing for different reasons.”
Spreading Solar in Ulster
After the power plant win, TownOfUlsterCitizens.Org set its sights on new environmental solutions for the town by exploring clean energy options. The organization sought environmental solutions that would help residents feel good about their impact on their local community and the planet as a whole. They looked into wind, solar, and other renewable energy alternatives.