On February 18, New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced an accelerated plan to help local governments and state agencies build at least 40 distributed solar projects to develop renewable energy while bringing reliable, affordable and sustainable energy supplies to surrounding communities.
The 40 projects will help meet the New York Power Authority's (NYPA) newly announced 2025 community solar power goal, which sets a renewable generation capacity of 75 MW, accompanied by 15 MW of battery storage, enough to offset the emissions of 2,572 vehicles. The projects are expected to stimulate more than $135 million in direct and private investment in their development, construction and operation, and create more than 1,250 short- and long-term jobs.
NYPA will work with city and state agencies to assist communities in developing building sites and land for solar projects to alleviate the challenges government agencies face in adopting distributed renewable power while also providing clean energy generation capacity for low-income communities. In addition, NYPA will provide assistance throughout the project development process, including scoping, design, procurement, implementation, project management and closeout, leading community distributed generation (CDG) projects.
Community solar programs benefit entire communities by providing residential customers, learning and businesses the opportunity to benefit from solar projects in their area, often at no upfront cost or participation fee to these customers. These programs increase access to solar energy for tenants, homeowners, low-income residents, schools and businesses who may not have the means or ideal conditions to install solar panels on their buildings. Electricity customers can earn credits locally for using solar power to offset a portion of their electric bills and can do their part to help the state increase the supply of clean, renewable energy to the grid.
Andrew M. Cuomo said, "New York State has the strongest community solar market in the nation, and we will continue to prioritize renewable energy that will transform the energy industry, protect the environment and reduce energy costs for New York State homes and businesses. And working with local governments and state agencies on community projects will further deploy solar and energy storage projects while creating new jobs across the state. By working together, we will advance New York State's leading national commitment to combat climate change and provide more clean, affordable energy to our grid."
Stationary Users Help Make Energy Affordable for All
Participation in distributed solar projects can be a challenge for local governments, as long-term development timelines and uncertain future revenues can be incongruous with local government budgets and approval processes. However, thanks to recent regulations by the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC), large customers can now more effectively act as "fixed users" of distributed solar projects. This will help reduce costs, enable economies of scale for projects, provide security for developers and financiers, and make it easier for residents and small businesses to receive solar credits.
NYPA's Experience in Advancing Community Solar Demonstration Projects
NYPA is currently advancing two major projects including the Quarryville project in Ulster County and the John F. Kennedy International Airport project, providing a total of 11 MW of reliable, affordable and sustainable energy supply to the surrounding communities. The City of White Plains in Mid-Hudson is also developing a project to install community solar systems at several sites. NYPA is also coordinating a solicitation to allow Westchester County municipalities to participate in a comprehensive energy project that will streamline development, procurement and implementation process, and yield overall benefits. These several ongoing projects not only demonstrate the feasibility of the project, but also the desirability of a community solar program built around a large customer. The release of the Community Solar+Storage program is also a step up in NYPA's commitment to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which calls for the installation of 6GW of solar by 2025 and 3GW of energy storage by 2030.
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