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For Immediate Release: 10/22/2025 Rory M. Christian, Chair Contact:
James Denn | James.Denn@dps.ny.gov | (518) 474-7080 25114/24-M-0433 October 22, 2025
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Revised RAPID Act Regulations Designed to Speed Development of Renewable Energy Projects Released for Public Comment |
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Newly Proposed Transmission Regulations Slash Permitting Time by Up to 50 Percent Revised Regulations Reflect Thousands of Stakeholder Comments
ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) today announced the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES) has released revised regulations for the environmental review, permitting, and siting of major renewable energy facilities and major electric transmission facilities under the Renewable Action through Project Interconnection and Deployment (RAPID) Act. The revised regulations incorporate extensive feedback from a wide range of voices, including consumers, developers, environmental organizations, municipalities, and other state agencies. The revised regulations will be available for a 45-day public comment window before the regulations are finalized, with comments on these revisions due by December 8, 2025.
ORES released the initial set of draft RAPID Act regulations in December 2024 and conducted a detailed public comment process including 20 in-person public comment hearings at 11 locations around the State, and two virtual public comment hearings. During this initial rulemaking process, ORES extended the public comment period in response to local governments and other stakeholders comments seeking more time to review and comment on the proposed regulations. Many of the revisions incorporated into the revised regulations were directly informed by the input from commenters and lessons learned from the existing ORES permitting process. Together, this combination of stakeholder input and agency expertise will allow ORES to further streamline permitting while ensuring that projects are carefully reviewed and balanced with critical environmental and community considerations.
“The revised RAPID Act regulations will enable ORES to refine its permitting practices and enable the development of new renewable generation and transmission projects that create new clean energy, strengthen grid reliability, and support new good-paying jobs,” said Commission Chair Rory M. Christian. “These regulations will be essential to the state’s need to integrate new, clean generation and replace our existing aging infrastructure to meet rising electric demand.”
“We asked, and stakeholders delivered,” said ORES Executive Director Zeryai Hagos. “The robust written and verbal feedback that we received challenged ORES to sharpen our approach. The enhanced permitting process isn’t just about speeding things up, it’s about getting projects right from the start. Through meaningful public engagement, strong environmental and community protections, all balanced through an efficient and transparent process, we will ensure the energy infrastructure we build in New York truly serves the public interest.”
Due to the more than 2,000 public comments received on the proposed regulations and draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement, ORES initiated a rulemaking to substantially revise certain provisions of the proposed regulations. Key areas addressed in the revised rulemaking include: revised pre-application procedures; revised alternative route scoping procedures for major electric transmission facilities; revised procedures for upgrades and new work for major electric transmission facilities located substantially within existing electric transmission rights-of-way; increased stakeholder engagement, including with local governments; replacement of “environmental justice” with “disadvantaged communities” in compliance with the CLCPA; and revisions to noise standards for both major renewable energy and major electric transmission facilities. The proposed transmission regulations reduce the time to issue a permit by up to 50 percent.
Enacted in April 2024, the RAPID Act consolidates the environmental review, permitting, and siting of major renewable energy facilities and major electric transmission facilities under the purview of ORES. Among other things, the RAPID Act authorizes ORES, in consultation with the Department of Public Service (DPS), the staff arm of the Commission, and subject to approval by the Commission, to promulgate rules and regulations to implement the new siting permit program for major electric transmission facilities established by the RAPID Act. ORES permit review process balances transparency with environmental protection and the need for fast decision making, while continuing to be responsive to community feedback. The revised regulations provide increased predictability to applicants and other stakeholders, regarding both timeline and substantive expectations, starting at pre-application and going all the way through to the Environmental Management and Construction Plans phase.
Since 2021, New York State has approved 31 large-scale solar and wind projects since 2021, including 27 permitted by ORES, which was created to accelerate permitting for renewable energy generation, and four approved by the NYS Siting Board under Article 10, the statute that governed solar and wind projects over 25-megawatts prior to the creation of ORES. The 31 permitted facilities represent 4.2 gigawatts of new clean, renewable energy. ORES will continue to work closely with relevant state agencies, including the Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Transportation, Department of State, Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s State Historic Preservation Office, and other offices within DPS in the permitting of new renewable generation and transmission facilities under the RAPID Act.
Public Comments
Comments should be submitted electronically, by going to www.dps.ny.gov, clicking on “File Search” in the drop-down menu under “Commission Files,” entering “24-M-0433” in the “Search by Case Number” field, and then clicking on the “Post Comments” box located at the top of the page. Those unable to file electronically may mail their comments to the Hon. Michelle L. Phillips, Secretary, New York State Public Service Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350.www.dps.ny.gov, and will be part of the case record. All comments filed with the Secretary will be posted on the Department’s website, www.dps.ny.gov and will be part of the case record.
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