New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced the largest combined renewable energy solicitations ever issued in the US seeking up to 4,000MW of renewable capacity to combat climate change. New York’s second offshore wind solicitation seeks up to 2,500MW of projects, the largest in the nation’s history, in addition to last year’s solicitation which resulted in nearly 1,700MW awarded. The solicitation includes a multi-port strategy and requirement for offshore wind generators to partner with any of the 11 prequalified New York ports to stage, construct, manufacture key components, or coordinate operations and maintenance activities.
This solicitation has the potential to bring New York State halfway toward its goal of 9,000MW of offshore wind by 2035 and meet Governor Cuomo’s nation-leading climate and environment goals under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Funding for port investments will include US $400m in both public and private funding.
According to Governor Cuomo, during one of the most challenging years New York has ever faced, the state remains laser-focused on implementing the nation-leading climate plan and growing our clean energy economy, not only to bring significant economic benefits and jobs to the state, but to quickly attack climate change at its source by reducing emissions. “With these record-breaking solicitations for renewable energy and new port infrastructure, New York continues to lead the way with the most ambitious Green New Deal in the nation, creating a future fueled by clean, renewable energy sources,” he said.
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The nation’s largest coordinated solicitations for land based large-scale renewable energy projects by a US state
In addition to the offshore wind solicitation, the Governor also announced the issuance by NYSERDA and NYPA of the nation’s largest coordinated solicitations for land based large-scale renewable energy projects by a U.S. state, under the State’s ambitious Clean Energy Standard. Together, the combined solicitations from NYSERDA and NYPA seek to procure over 1,500MW of clean, renewable energy, enough to power nearly 500,000 homes. Applicable land-based projects selected will be fast-tracked to construction under groundbreaking legislation passed in the budget to vastly accelerate renewable energy siting to ensure the projects are developed responsibly and quickly so the state meets its CLCPA mandate.
In aggregate, the offshore wind, port infrastructure, and land-based renewable trifecta of solicitations seek to procure approximately 12 million megawatt-hours, enough to power over 1.5 million homes annually. Together, taking into account the value of avoided carbon emissions, these solicitations are expected to deliver a combined US $3bn in net benefits over the 20- to 25-year life of the projects.
