The developer was awarded contracts for three large projects that combine for 1 GW of capacity.
June 10, 2022
EDF Renewable North America announced three solar projects with co-located energy storage have been awarded contracts by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
The projects represent nearly 40% of the 2.4 GW awarded as part of NYSERDA’s 2020 Renewable Energy Standard Solicitation, and 170 MW of the capacity was awarded as part of the 2018 solicitation.
All three projects are expected to reach commercial operations by the end of 2025. The awarded projects are as follows:
- Columbia Solar Energy Center: 350 MW with 20 MW of co-located storage sited on approximately 2,000 acres in the towns of Columbia and Litchfield, Herkimer County.
- Ridge View Solar Energy Center: 350 MW with 20 MW of co-located storage sited on approximately 2,000 acres sited in the town of Hartland, Niagara County.
- Rich Road Solar Energy Center: 240 MW with 20 MW of co-located storage sited on approximately 1,500 acres in the town Canton, St. Lawrence County.
The electricity generated at full capacity is expected to meet the equivalent of 243,000 average New York homes. They are estimated to abate 880,000 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually, the equivalent of 190,000 passenger vehicles’ annual emissions.
EDF Renewables is among the largest developers of renewable energy in North America, with 24 GW of solar, storage, and wind projects across the continent. About 70% of the company’s project pipeline is solar. To date, it has installed 187 MW of solar and 80 MW of wind in New York state.
NYSERDA’s 2020 clean energy solicitation program includes 22 new large-scale renewable energy generation sites, over 3,000 jobs created, and nearly $3 billion in direct investment. In total, the reduced carbon emissions is expected to be equivalent to taking 440,000 cars off the road annually.
Under the program, NYSERDA supports new project development, and the program creates an obligation for retail electricity suppliers, such as energy service companies, to purchase increasing amounts of renewable energy to supply their customers. The NYSERDA program is in pursuit of a 2030 target of 70% of the State’s electricity to come from renewable energy sources, and 100% zero-emissions electricity by 2040.
