124 MW Clean Energy Facility Creates 150 Direct Construction Jobs

Local Governments to Receive PILOT Payments

Project Supports New York's Nation Leading Renewable Energy Targets Under the Climate Leadership and Community Protect Act

ALBANY — The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment (Siting Board) today granted approval to Bluestone Wind, LLC (Bluestone Wind) to build and operate a wind farm in Broome County. The Siting Board’s decision follows a detailed review and robust public participation process to ensure that the Southern Tier wind farm meets or exceeds all siting requirements. Bluestone Wind and other wind and solar projects currently under development are vital to meet the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act’s (CLCPA) aggressive carbon reduction and clean energy targets.

“This approval of Bluestone Wind carefully balances environmental, community, and policy considerations, and meaningfully advances us toward our goal of a zero-carbon emission electric sector by 2040,” said Siting Board Chair John B. Rhodes. “With each Siting Board approval of a renewable energy facility we reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and we demonstrate that renewable energy works in New York and helps create a clean energy-economy.”

The 124-megawatt (MW) Bluestone Wind project will consist of up to 27 wind turbines (23 in the Town of Sanford and four in the Town of Windsor), together with associated underground collection lines, access roads, two permanent meteorological towers, and an operation and maintenance building in the Town of Sanford.

In addition to the turbines, a substation will be located in the Town of Sanford at the end of the project’s 34.5-kilovolt collection system and will include a 10-megawatt battery storage system. A second substation will be located at the point of interconnection, adjacent to an existing electric transmission line owned by New York State Electric and Gas Corporation. The two substations will be connected by a 200-foot long span of overhead 115-kilovolt transmission line.

The facility will be located on privately leased rural land that according to Bluestone will enable landowners to continue with existing land uses, such as forestry operations, mining and hunting. The project will provide economic benefits by creating direct jobs, will generate revenues for local governments through Payments In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreements and will provide revenues for participating landowners through lease and other agreements.

As described by the developer, the project would have a positive economic impact on the host communities, including creating an estimated 150 direct jobs in construction and construction-related services in the State, and generate an estimated seven direct operational jobs during the operation of the facility.

Bluestone estimates that the project represents an approximately $200 million investment, which will result in a significant increase to Broome County’s taxable property base. Once operational, Bluestone says it will pay over $30 million to local landowners over the life of the project through annual lease payments. This consistent stream of supplemental revenue can protect against fluctuating commodity prices and help maintain family farms.

The Siting Board examiners determined that the wind farm will be consistent with the energy policies and long-range planning objectives and strategies contained in the most recent State Energy Plan. Based on this, and based on its consideration of other relevant social, economic and other factors, the Siting Board determined that the project will be a beneficial addition to the electric generation capacity of the State and will also serve the goals of improving fuel diversity, grid reliability, and modernization of grid infrastructure. Fuel diversity will be improved through generation of electricity with wind power rather than with fossil fuels; grid reliability will be improved through additional generation of power from a separate site through a different energy source; and modernization of the grid will result from construction of a new electric generating facility.

The Siting Board’s decision to grant the certificate is subject to detailed conditions that will address the concerns of the parties and ensure that, as built and operated, the project will be consistent with the findings and conclusions of the Siting Board. For example, Bluestone is required to develop a net conservation benefit plan for bald and golden eagles and a post construction avian and bat monitoring and adaptive management plan.

In its decision, the Siting Board waived compliance with a Town of Sanford law prohibiting construction of the project because it was found to be unreasonably burdensome under Siting Board rules. The Siting Board noted that Town of Sanford, a party in the case, did not make any objections regarding issuance of the initial certificate and enacted the moratorium after the conclusion of the evidentiary hearing and the filing of post-hearing briefs.

Bluestone Wind filed its formal application with the Siting Board in September 2018. The active parties to the proceeding included local municipalities, a local citizens’ group, the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society; a local individual resident; and several state agencies. The record includes more than 400 public comments. The Siting Board held two public information sessions, two on-the-record public statement hearings, two procedural conferences and conducted three days of evidentiary hearings at which expert and factual testimony was taken, all near the project area.

Today’s decision demonstrates how New York is working to achieve Governor Cuomo's Green New Deal — the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, putting the state on a path to being entirely carbon-neutral across all sectors of the economy and establishing a goal to achieve a zero-carbon emissions electricity sector by 2040, faster than any other state. Additionally, the recently passed CLCPA mandates the Green New Deal’s national leading clean energy targets: nine gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035, six gigawatts of distributed solar by 2025, and three gigawatts of energy storage by 2030, while calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy. The CLCPA also directs New York State agencies and authorities to collaborate with stakeholders to develop a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050 and aim to invest 40 percent of clean energy and energy efficiency program resources to benefit disadvantaged communities.

In making its determination, the Siting Board determined that, with appropriate certificate conditions in place, any impacts to the environment have been avoided or, if unavoidable, mitigated to the maximum extent practicable.

Today’s decision may be obtained by going to the Documents section of the Department of Public Services Web site at www.dps.ny.gov and entering Case Number 16-F-0559 in the input box labeled "Search for Case/Matter Number". Many libraries offer free Internet access. Commission documents may also be obtained from the Commission’s Files Office, 14th floor, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223 (518-474-2500). If you have difficulty understanding English, please call 1-800- 342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this press release.