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In 'historic commitment,' New York awards $1.4B to 26 new renewables projects

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In 'historic commitment,' New York awards $1.4B to 26 new renewables projects

New York has awarded $1.4 billion to 26 new large-scale renewable energy projects, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced March 9 at an event in Manhattan. The projects, sparked by a 2017 solicitation to help meet the state's requirement of 50% renewables by 2030, are projected to add more than 1,380 MW of zero-carbon power generation capacity by 2022, creating more than 3,000 jobs and $3 billion in private investment.

Speaking at New York University, Cuomo called the award "the single-largest commitment to renewable energy by any state in the history of the nation." That's a slight exaggeration: The commitment, although substantial, trails the California Solar Initiative, a $2.2 billion ratepayer-funded rooftop solar program phased out in 2016, which was part of a broader $3.3 billion state effort to promote behind-the-meter solar.

Solar farms dominated New York's winning bids, with 22 projects ranging from 1.53 MW to 100 MW in size. Among the winning solar developers are NextEra Energy Inc., Cypress Creek Renewables LLC and Invenergy Renewables LLC. Three onshore wind farms also won bids, including a 121.8-MW Calpine Corp. project with 6.2 MW of storage. Invenergy is developing the largest of the winning projects, Alle-Catt Wind Farm, a planned 380-MW project located in Cattaraugus County in western New York, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data. A 3.23-MW hydroelectric project is also among the selections. The weighted average award price in the solicitation is $21.71/MWh over the 20-year terms of the contracts.

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"We commend Governor Cuomo for this historic commitment to solar energy," Abigail Ross Hopper, CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said in an email, calling it a "groundbreaking investment."

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which issued the request for proposals in June 2017, plans to launch its next solicitation for large-scale renewable energy in April. The agency anticipates making awards in September 2018 and may issue another solicitation in November 2018.

Cuomo also announced two new procurements for offshore wind as part of the state's 2,400 MW Offshore Wind Master Plan. "We will procure 800 MW of offshore wind power, located offshore of Long Island," he said. The New York Energy Research and Development Authority did not immediately return calls seeking additional information on the offshore wind purchases.

At the Manhattan event, the governor also disclosed that New York has formally requested an exclusion from the Trump administration's new offshore oil and gas leasing program.