New York Announces Agreements to Advance Solar Projects on Underutilized Sites

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority announced two agreements to explore the potential renewable energy development on underutilized sites in the Southern Tier and Western New York through its Build Ready program.  The first site is in the area surrounding Ithaca Tompkins International Airport and the second site is the Witmer Road Landfill in Niagara County.

The authority has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Tompkins County in relation to the county-owned Ithaca airport. The 67-acre area surrounding Ithaca airport, situated in Lansing, has been marked for a solar and battery energy storage project. The solar project is among a number of projects that will support Ithaca’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

The second one pertains to the development of two solar installations in Witmer Road Landfill, located in Wheatfield, which has been closed since 1976. The 60-acre site will support the town of Wheatfield and Niagara county in achieving its carbon neutrality goals.

The initiative is part of the Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act, which tasked the authority with identifying underutilized sites in New York and converting them into revenue-generating, large-scale renewable energy projects. The program is in the process of developing a pipeline of projects on brownfields, landfills, and abandoned and existing commercial and industrial sites for eventual auction. To date, the initiative has screened over 17,000 underutilized sites for potential renewable energy projects. NYSERDA has previously signed three similar agreements for developing solar projects in Ithaca College and sites in East Hampton and Niagara Falls.

Build-Ready renewable projects will accelerate progress towards New York’s clean energy goals including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030 and a zero-emissions electricity sector by 2040. New York has made significant investments in clean energy and climate action including over $28 billion in 61 large-scale renewable power projects, with $3.3 billion allocated for developing solar projects. The state’s solar industry has grown by over 3,000 percent between 2011 and 2024.