New York Approves Five Renewable Energy Projects Expected to Yield $3 Billion in Economic Benefits

The New York Public Service Commission on Dec. 19 approved five clean energy projects that could generate over $3 billion in economic benefits for local communities. The five projects have a combined capacity of over 2 gigawatts (GW) and could deliver clean energy to more than one million homes. Alle-Catt Wind, Brookeside Solar, the Champlain-Hudson Power Express transmission line, Horseshoe Solar, and Heritage Wind projects all received approvals to proceed with development.

Alle-Catt Wind is a 340-megawatt (MW) wind farm that could provide clean energy to 134,000 households in Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Wyoming counties. The commission approved three petitions related to the project including requested funding, compliance filings for the farm, and an Environmental Management and Construction Plan for a 10.2-mile overhead 345 kV transmission line. The approvals allow Alle-Catt Wind to commence construction.

Brookside Solar, located in Franklin County, is a 100-MW solar facility that could power 16,500 homes. Horseshoe Solar is a 180-MW solar farm that could power 50,000 residents in Livingston County. The commission approved the project’s ownership transfer to Forward Power.

The Champlain-Hudson Power Express is a 339-mile transmission line that will transport 1,250 MW of hydroelectric power from Canada to New York City, enough to power more than one million homes. The project received approvals for a modification to the construction plan to shift portions of the cable alignment to address co-located infrastructure issues and a construction plan for the overhead transmission line in Queens.

Heritage Wind is a 174-MW wind farm that will power 45,000 homes in Orleans County. The commission authorized the construction of the wind farm to begin, with the anticipation for the wind farm to be operational by 2026.

The approval of these renewable energy projects is crucial for New York to achieve its climate goal of generating 70 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030. The biennial review of the New York’s Clean Energy Standard, released in July, revealed that the state is behind on this renewable energy goal.

To significantly expand its renewable energy capacity and meet its climate target, New York recently awarded contracts for 23 large-scale renewable energy projects. The state also achieved a major renewable energy milestone in October, reaching 6 GW of distributed solar capacity one year ahead of schedule.