New York Governor Kathy Hochul opened up the state’s sixth competitive solicitation calling for 2,000 megawatts or more of new large-scale renewable energy projects. The projects will have the capacity to power at least 600,000 New York homes. Once selected, the development of these projects is expected to spur nearly $3 billion in clean energy investments.
Interested proposers can apply on NYSERDA’s Tier 1 Solicitations webpage. Step One Eligibility Applications are due on Nov. 16, 2022, by 3 p.m. ET.
NYSERDA expects to notify the awarded developers in the spring of 2023. Payments under these awards will not commence until projects have obtained all required permits and approvals and become operational to power New York.
Eligible projects include any large-scale renewable project that can be certified as a Tier 1 renewable technology and entered operation after January 1, 2015. Participating projects not yet in operation must show evidence that they are capable of reaching commercial operation May 2025, with the option to extend to May 2028.
Notable provisions in this solicitation
• Setting a minimum U.S. iron and steel purchase requirement.
• Requiring that workers associated with the construction of any awarded facility be paid the applicable prevailing wage.
• Encouraging and preferentially evaluating developers that commit to utilizing New York State Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses (SDVOBs).
• Incentivizing proposers to avoid development on the highest quality agricultural lands, and commit to co-utilization measures to support continued agricultural operations as well as funding to support regional agricultural operations.
• Ensuring that communities that will host successfully awarded projects are fully involved in the development process, and that proposers demonstrate a commitment to frequent and active community engagement.
• Continuing to encourage proposals that cost-effectively pair renewable energy with energy storage technologies, including preferential evaluation of proposals that site storage facilities in primarily fossil-served regions of the state to combat the acute impacts of pollution that disadvantaged communities have disproportionately borne.
New York thus far has contracted with over 120 new large-scale land-based renewable energy facilities including solar farms, onshore wind farms, and hydroelectric facilities – some of which have been paired with energy storage. The projects selected through this solicitation are expected to generate approximately 4.5 million MWh of renewable electricity per year.
Tags: utility-scale
