New York Launches Solicitation for 2 Gigawatts of Large-Scale Renewables

New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Sept. 21 announced the state’s sixth competitive solicitation, seeking 2 gigawatts or more of new large scale renewable energy projects. The projects are expected to have the capability to provide electricity for around 600,000 homes and sustain the conventional speed of state contracted opportunities for private renewable energy developers.

The expansion of these projects is anticipated to stimulate around $3 billion in clean energy investment and create more than 2,000 jobs in the clean energy economy.  The development will help the state achieve its goal of obtaining 70 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

The projects are expected to form on the basis of effective public-private alliances and will allow the state to significantly reduce emissions in its battle against climate change. Moreover, the projects are anticipated to lead to higher economic growth in the state, with an insertion of private capital spending into local communities.

The state now has contracts with over 120 large scale onshore renewable energy facilities consisting of solar and onshore wind facilities and hydroelectric projects, many of which have been paired with energy storage. The projects chosen through this solicitation are estimated to produce nearly 4.5 million megawatt hours of electricity annually, sufficient to lessen carbon emissions by 2 million metric tons.

The solicitation includes a number of key provisions, such as providing job opportunities and aids to deprived groups by favourably assessing projects that can substantially advance benefits for these usually underserved communities and necessitating that workers connected with the building of any awarded facility be paid the current market wage to confirm construction quality. Moreover, continuing to stimulate plans that efficiently couple renewable energy with energy storage technologies.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority anticipates notifying awarded developers in the spring of 2023. Payments under these awards will not start until projects have acquired all necessary permits and authorizations and become operational to power the state.

Large-scale projects that became operational after Jan. 1, 2015 and are certified as a Tier 1 renewable technology are eligible to apply. Projects that are not yet operational are required to demonstrate that they are on track to come online by May 2025 with the option to extend until May 2028.

Applications are due within Nov. 16, and a webinar on the solicitation will be held on Oct. 6.