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For Immediate Release: 01/20/22 Rory M. Christian, Chair Contact:
James Denn | James.Denn@dps.ny.gov | (518) 474-7080
22004 / 20-E-0197; 18-E-0071; 15-E-0302
January 20, 2022
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PSC Takes Additional Action on Landmark Power Grid Study |
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Steps Taken to Define Path to Offshore Wind Integration
Transmission Working Group Created to Deploy Advanced Technologies
ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) today issued an order based on offshore wind recommendations from the Power Grid Study that was conducted pursuant to the Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act of 2020. The order modifies future offshore wind energy procurements; seeks detailed plans from Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc. (Con Edison) for a wind energy interconnection hub; and establishes a technology working group to test and deploy advanced transmission technologies.
“The Power Grid Study offered numerous recommendations for driving transmission investment toward CLCPA goals, and the Commission has responded to many of those in prior orders,” said Commission Chair Rory M. Christian. “Today, among other things, the Commission addressed the Study’s critical recommendations relating to the integration of 9 GW of offshore wind with the State’s onshore network.”
The Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act directed the Department of Public Service (Department), in consultation with State authorities, the utilities, and the New York Independent System Operator, Inc. (NYISO), to conduct the “power grid study” to identify distribution and transmission infrastructure needed to enable the State to achieve the goals established in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The act also required the Commission and the State’s utilities to develop and implement plans for electric transmission and distribution investments that are necessary to meet CLCPA targets.
The Power Grid Study, filed in January 2021, includes: a report on local transmission and distribution upgrades necessary to achieve CLCPA targets; a study of offshore and onshore bulk power transmission infrastructure scenarios, and related environmental permitting considerations, to illustrate possible solutions to integrate the mandated 9,000 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind; and analysis of transmission, generation, and storage options for achieving 70 percent renewable generation by 2030 and a zero-emissions grid by 2040.
Today, the Commission focused on the study’s recommendations for offshore wind integration. The Commission recognized the potential benefits of creating a shared “mesh” offshore system to handle energy injections from multiple offshore wind generating projects and directed the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, or NYSERDA, to require future offshore wind proposals to be designed with the optional capability to interconnect with a meshed system if the Commission were to later recommend such configurations. In addition, the Commission directed Con Edison to submit the details of an onshore hub that would include availability of points of interconnection in lower Manhattan for 5 to 6 gigawatts of offshore injections.
The order also addresses the need to accelerate the adoption of advanced transmission technologies. The Commission established a working group to assess advanced transmission technologies that can help achieve CLCPA targets at reduced cost and directed the utilities to identify pathways to implementing such technologies across the State, with a progress report due in six months.
New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan
New York State's nation-leading climate agenda is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy as New York State recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on a path to achieve its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy wide carbon neutrality. It builds on New York's unprecedented investments to ramp-up clean energy including over $33 billion in 102 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce buildings emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.6 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. Combined, these investments are supporting nearly 158,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector in 2020, a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011 and a commitment to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. Under the Climate Act, New York will build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35 percent with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities, and advance progress towards the state's 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs of end-use energy savings.
Today’s decision may be obtained by going to the Commission Documents section of the Commission’s Web site at www.dps.ny.gov and entering Case Numbers 20-E-0197, 18-E-0071, or 15-E-0302 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 us at 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this press release. |
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