Large-Scale Renewable Energy Projects To Deliver Clean, Affordable Energy To New Yorkers

The Long Island Solar Farm (LISF) is a 32-megawatt solar photovoltaic power plant located on the Brookhaven National Laboratory site. It is generating enough renewable energy to power approximately 4,500 homes and is helping New York State meet its clean energy and carbon reduction goals. (Brookhaven National Laboratory/Flickr)

On June 2, Governor Hochul announced awards for 22 large-scale solar and energy storage projects that will deliver enough clean, affordable energy to power over 620,000 New York homes for at least 20 years. As the state’s largest land-based renewable energy procurement to date, these projects will spur over $2.7 billion in private investment and create over 3,000 short- and long-term jobs across the state. These awards accelerate progress to exceed New York’s goal to obtain 70 percent of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030 on the path to a zero-emission grid by 2040 as required by Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. These awards will strengthen the state’s current pipeline of renewables to power over 66 percent of New York’s electricity from renewable sources.

The large-scale renewable energy projects in the G.E.T. distribution region are as follows.

• Stern Solar: Stern Solar LLC, a CS Energy affiliate, will build a 19.99-megawatt solar facility in the town of Schaghticoke, Rensselaer County.

• Fort Edward Solar Farm: Fort Edward Solar LLC, a Boralex affiliate, will build a 100-megawatt solar facility in the towns of Fort Edward and Argyle, Washington County.

• Scotch Ridge Solar: Scotch Ridge Solar LLC, a Nexamp affiliate, will build a 20-megawatt solar facility in the town of Duanesburg, Schenectady County.

• ELP Stuyvesant Solar: ELP Stuyvesant Solar LLC, an East Light Partners affiliate, will build a 19.99-megawatt solar facility in the town of Stuyvesant, Columbia County.

• Easton Solar Farm: Easton Solar LLC, a Boralex affiliate, will build a 20-megawatt solar facility in the town of Easton, Washington County.

• ELP Rotterdam Solar: ELP Rotterdam Solar LLC, an East Light Partners affiliate, will build a 19.99-megawatt solar facility in the town of Rotterdam, Schenectady County.

• Yellow Barn Solar: Yellow Barn Solar LLC, a CS Energy affiliate, will build a 160-megawatt solar facility in the towns of Lansing and Groton, Tompkins County.

• Mill Point Solar 2: ConnectGen Montgomery County LLC, a ConnectGen affiliate, will build a 100-MW Solar facility in the town of Glen, Montgomery County.

• SunEast Flat Creek II Solar: SunEast Flat Creek Solar LLC, a SunEast Development affiliate, will build a 100-megawatt Solar facility in the town of Root, Montgomery County.

• Newport Solar Farm: Newport Deerfield Solar LLC, a Boralex affiliate, will build a 130-megawatt Solar facility in the towns of Deerfield, Marcy and Newport, Oneida and Herkimer County.

• Foothills Solar Farm: Foothills Solar LLC, a Boralex affiliate, will build a 40-megawatt Solar facility in the town of Mayfield, Fulton County.

• Columbia Solar Energy Center: Columbia Solar Energy Center LLC, an EDF Renewables affiliate, will build a 350-megawatt Solar facility with 20 megawatts of co-located energy storage in the towns of Columbia and Litchfield, Herkimer County.

• The other projects are located in central New York’s Cayuga County, the North Country counties of Lawrence and Franklin, and western New York counties of Niagara, Allegany, and Chautauqua.

Creating New Jobs

New York’s advancement of renewable energy has resulted in significant private investment, new jobs, and economic development for local communities in more than 30 counties across the state.

Investing in Marginalized Communities

Through the newly awarded projects, developers have committed nearly $86 million in investments in disadvantaged communities throughout the state, including community-based investments such as new occupational apprenticeships, scholarship programs, and summer camps focused on supporting local disadvantaged communities. Additionally, all developers have committed to ensuring that workers associated with the construction of projects are paid a prevailing wage, a standard set by the NYS Department of Labor.

Environmental Protection a Priority

For five consecutive years, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has demonstrated a commitment to implementing the most ambitious clean energy agenda in the United States. With the addition of these new projects, NYSERDA is on the path to building a renewable electricity pipeline capable of powering the equivalent of two-thirds of the state. These projects will generate approximately 4.5 million megawatt-hours of renewable energy annually, enough to power over 620,000 homes, and will reduce carbon emissions by more than 2.2 million metric tons annually, equivalent to taking over 492,000 cars off the road every year. Six awarded projects will also be paired with energy storage facilities, comprising 159 megawatts of utility-scale energy storage capacity that will enhance the integration of renewable energy resources onto the electric grid.

Cutting Costs for New Yorkers

The contracts include an index REC (renewable energy credit) structure to help cushion customers against potential spikes in electricity prices so that when electricity prices rise Tier 1 program costs go down. The average statewide bill impact for the typical residential customer will be approximately $0.13 per month once the projects are in operation. Total project costs, including a weighted-average all-in development cost of $63.08 per megawatt-hour, further demonstrate that land-based renewables yield competitively priced renewable electricity resources with critical benefits toward the achievement of the state’s goals. NYSERDA payments under these awards will begin once projects have obtained all required permits and approvals and become operational to power New York.

These newly awarded projects will add to New York’s robust pipeline of large-scale renewable electricity projects moving towards operation, comprised of over 120 solar, land-based wind and offshore wind projects under development that will deliver over 14,200 megawatts of clean power to the grid when completed – enough to power nearly five and a half million New York homes. The State’s commitment to building out new green energy transmission, led by 250 miles of new major upgrades already underway throughout the state, with recently announced Clean Path New York and Champlain Hudson Power Express green energy infrastructure projects, will allow the current pipeline of renewables to power over 66 percent of New York’s electricity from renewable sources once operational.