To accelerate deployment of renewable energy in the face of climate change, some states have enacted legislation to shift permitting of large-scale renewable energy projects from the local to the state level. New York State’s Accelerated Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act (2020) shifted the permitting of large-scale solar to their Office of Renewable Energy Siting. This shift in permitting authority may change the opportunities that community members have to engage in the decision-making process. Prior research indicates that engagement practices are meaningful when they account for community preferences and effectively disseminate project information. Utilizing a case study of the Yellow Barn Solar project (180 MW across 1,859 acres) in Groton and Lansing, New York, this study investigates how the state level permitting process affects opportunities for meaningful engagement in a large-scale solar project. I draw on 17 semi-structured interviews and content analysis of news articles and meeting minutes to evaluate community perceptions of engagement opportunities. Three primary themes emerged concerning stakeholder perceptions of engagement: (1) stakeholder ability to influence project design, benefits, and decision; (2) host community knowledge of project aspects; and (3) trust in stakeholders. I found that community engagement was largely perceived as insufficient and not meaningful. I propose a revised engagement model which “relocalizes” some decision-making power and prioritizes a collaborative design and development process between the host community, the developer, and the state to meet renewable energy goals. The proposed model also includes mechanisms for third-party organizations and the state to support local governments. Under the proposed model, state renewable energy goals can be achieved while increasing meaningful engagement among local governments and host communities.