New York State to build a large energy facility instead of a previously planned fossil fuel plant

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority signed a contract with Lincoln Park DG LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GlidePath Power Solutions (GlidePath), to build a 20-megawatt storage project in the Town of Ulster, replacing previously planned projects that would have used fossil fuels to generate power for the local community. The project is expected to be completed in early 2021 and supports Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s energy storage deployment target of 3,000 megawatts by 2030.

Located at the Lincoln Park Grid Support Center, this project is an example of how community outreach and New York’s ambitious climate and clean energy policies are already working to steer the state away from reliance on dirtier fossil fuels. When the project was originally proposed in 2018, the facility design included a natural gas-powered peaking plant, which raised concerns in the community. As a result, GlidePath changed direction by announcing plans to install a battery at the site. To support the new plan, GlidePath received approval for $8.8 million from NYSERDA’s Market Acceleration Bridge Incentive Program, which provides incentives for bulk and retail storage projects.

Now that the contract is executed, the project moves into the design and study phase, which could take up to one year, and then it will be built. Once it is operating, the four-hour battery system will help relieve grid constraints by storing cleaner generation and releasing it during peak demand hours.

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NYSERDA’s Market Acceleration Bridge Incentive Program is part of a $405 million energy storage investment to help accelerate industry growth and drive down energy storage deployment costs to build a sustainable and affordable market. It is complemented by a $250 million commitment that the New York Power Authority (NYPA) made last December to accelerate the flexibility of the electric grid by collaborating on grid-scale energy storage projects and addressing market and financing barriers.

Alicia Barton, President and CEO, NYSERDA said, “Advancing energy storage installations across the state enables more renewables to be integrated into our electric grid, while reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions and making local communities healthier. As New York moves toward achieving Governor Cuomo’s historic and nation-leading clean energy targets, we will continue to forge partnerships with stakeholders such as GlidePath to further grow the rapidly expanding energy storage sector and our green economy.”

— Solar Builder magazine

[source: https://solarbuildermag.com/news/new-york-state-to-build-a-large-energy-facility-instead-of-a-previously-planned-fossil-fuel-plant/]