New York has made it clear it wants nothing to do with Trump’s plans for the energy sector or the environment and has announced the next steps in its own forward-thinking agenda. It starts with aggressive pro-renewable energy plan that commits $1.4 billion to advance 26 large-scale projects across the state – 22 of which will be solar installations. At the same time, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo formally requested an exclusion from the new five-year National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program.
“Instead of protecting our waters from another oil spill, like the one that devastated the Gulf, this new federal plan only increases the chances of another disaster taking place,” Governor Cuomo said. “This is a total disregard for science, reality, and history, and their actions defy everything we know. We believe the future is a clean energy economy and New York is going to lead a counter-movement to what this administration is doing to the environment and illuminate the path forward.”
Building on the momentum of these project awards, NYSERDA will issue the next solicitation for large-scale renewable energy under the Clean Energy Standard on April 25, 2018.
In January 2018, the federal government unveiled the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas program, which proposes to make over 90 percent of the total offshore acreage in the United States available to oil and gas drilling. This plan would open two areas of the North Atlantic coast adjacent to New York State for fossil fuel exploration. An exclusion from offshore drilling program was granted to Florida shortly after its launch on the grounds that the state relies heavily on tourism as one of the nation’s top ocean economies.
The plan for $1.4 billion
The renewable projects chosen for the competitive awards, driven by the Governor’s Clean Energy Standard mandate, are expected to generate enough clean, renewable energy to power more than 430,000 homes and create over 3,000 short- and long-term well-paying jobs.
During the competitive selection process, bonus points were awarded to renewable energy projects that demonstrated a commitment to the creation of good local jobs and the use of locally-manufactured components and content. The criteria included scoring for the developer’s experience in constructing and financing renewable projects, the developer’s previous project development experience in New York, and the projects development status related to grid interconnection, permitting and site control.
In addition to the 22 utility-scale solar farms, other projects include three wind farms and one hydroelectric project. One of the wind farms features an energy storage component, marking the first time a large-scale renewable energy project has done so in New York State. Several projects will break ground as early as April 2018 and all projects are expected to be operational by 2022, adding over 1,380 megawatts of capacity and generating over 3,200,000 MWh annually.
Those 22 solar projects include
Capital Region
- Columbia Solar 1, Columbia County: Hecate Energy will build a 60 MW solar facility in the town of Copake.
- Darby Solar, Washington County: Granada Solar will build a 19.99 MW solar facility in the town of Easton.
- Flint Mine Solar, Greene County: Hudson Energy Enterprises will build a 100 MW solar facility in the town of Coxsackie.
- Greene County Energy Properties, Greene County: Greene County Energy Properties will build a 19.9 MW solar facility in the town of Coxsackie.
- Pattersonville, Schenectady County: Teichos Energy will build a 19.99 MW solar facility in the town of Pattersonville.
Central New York
- Janis Solar, Cortland County: Granada Solar will build a 19.99 MW solar facility in the town of Willet.
- Sky High Solar, Onondaga County: Cypress Creek Renewables will build a 19.99 MW solar facility in the town of Tully.
Finger Lakes
- Java Solar Energy Center, Wyoming County: Invenergy will build a 1.53 MW solar facility in the town of Java.
Mid-Hudson
- Blue Stone Solar, Ulster County: Geronimo Energy will build a 19.99 MW solar facility in the town of Saugerties.
- Daybreak Solar, Ulster County: Geronimo Energy will build a 25 MW solar facility in the town of Shawangunk.
- Little Pond Solar, Orange County: Cypress Creek Renewables will build a 19.99 MW solar facility in the town of Deerpark.
- Magruder Solar, Ulster County: Granada Solar will build a 19.99 MW solar facility in the town of Gardiner.
Mohawk Valley
- Double Lock Solar, Montgomery County: Cypress Creek Renewables will build a 19.99 MW solar facility in the town of Minden.
- East Point Energy Center, Schoharie County: NextEra Energy will build a 50 MW solar facility in the town of Sharon.
- Grissom Solar, Fulton County: Granada Solar will build a 19.99 MW solar facility in the town of Mayfield.
- High River Energy Center, Montgomery County: NextEra Energy will build a 90 MW solar facility in the town of Amsterdam.
- Rock District Solar, Schoharie County: Cypress Creek Renewables will build a 19.99 MW solar facility in the town of Carlisle.
- Sunny Knoll Solar, Schoharie County: Cypress Creek Renewables will build a 19.99 MW solar facility in the town of Schoharie.
- Tayandenega Solar, Montgomery County: Cypress Creek Renewables will build a 19.99 MW solar facility in the town of St. Johnsville.
Southern Tier
- Branscomb Solar, Tioga County: Granada Solar will build a 19.99 MW solar facility in the town of Candor.
- Puckett Solar, Chenango County: Granada Solar will build a 19.99 MW solar facility in the town of Greene.
- Regan Solar, Chenango County: Granada Solar will build a 19.99 MW solar facility in the town of Guilford.
Western New York
— Solar Builder magazine
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