New York Steps Up Bid To Transform its Grid with "Largest Green Energy Initiative by Any State in U.S. History"

In July last year, New York State put out the largest solicitation for renewable energy in the United States ever to pivot its economy in the direction of a zero-carbon economy. The solicitation, which included clean energy projects spanning disparate forms of renewable energy, was meant to enable $7 billion in investments and create 4500 jobs.

Yesterday New York Governor Cuomo provided an update on that initiative. Since July, New York has approved renewable energy projects that are expected to generate more than 4,700 MW of power, the largest ever for any state and create more than 8,600 jobs in the sector, he said.  Governor Cuomo also announced a $26 billion public-private partnership initiative comprising 100 offshore wind and solar energy initiatives. They will reduce carbon emissions by 16 metric tons per year. Sixty-eight such projects are already underway.

“A true transformation to a green economy must create a complete green energy system to replace the old carbon-based supply system,” said Governor Cuomo. To that end, the governor’s office is basing its actions on four prongs: building large scale renewable projects, kickstarting manufacture of renewable energy infrastructure in New York, building transmission capacity, and creating a green energy workforce capacity.

Governor Cuomo highlighted a slate of new investments, proposed or already in operation, across the renewable energy value chain. For example, the governor’s office has greenlighted 24 new solar projects to create 11,000 jobs in Upstate New York. An offshore wind tower facility – a first in the country - at the Port of Albany will create 100 jobs. The South Brooklyn Marine Terminal will become a dedicated offshore wind facility that will generate 3.3 MW of wind power. It will be managed by Norwegian company Equinor and British Petroleum.

Governor Cuomo’s announcements yesterday should be a shot in the arm for the state’s ambitious renewable energy targets. The state plans to generate 70 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030 and become emissions-free by 2040.