NYSERDA Approves 647 MW Of PV

• New York has approved 26 large-scale clean energy projects representing 1,383 MW of capacity to be developed across the state
• PV alone represents 22 projects of the total, with 647 MW of capacity ranging from 1.53 to 100 MW
• The request for proposals (RFP) issued by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) received 88 project proposals from 30 developers
• All of these projects are scheduled to become operational by 2022 and create more than 3,000 short- and long-term jobs in construction, operations and maintenance
• New York has committed $1.4 billion to the development of these projects, which are expected to attract more than $3 billion in direct investment over the lifespan of all 26 projects

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has approved solar power capacity totaling 647 MW to be installed across the state. As part of its 2017 Renewable Energy Standard Request for Proposals (RESRFP17-1), the agency had issued a request for proposals (RFP) under its Clean Energy Standard last June.

With all 26 renewable energy projects approved, the state expects 1,383 MW of clean energy capacity to be deployed across the state. While there is only 1 hydroelectric power project and 3 wind energy projects, the remaining 22 projects are exclusively PV. These PV projects range from 1.53 to 100 MW in terms of capacity.

The proposals had to meet the requirement of creating good local jobs and the use of locally manufactured components and content. The 26 projects were selected out of the 88 project proposals submitted by 30 developers.

Once all of these projects are operational by 2022, they are expected to generate enough clean energy to power over 430,000 homes annually. Along with attracting more than $3 billion in direct investment over the lifespan of the projects, the 1,383 MW of capacity are expected to also create over 3,000 short- and long-term jobs in construction, operations and maintenance.

With $1.4 billion, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said this is the single largest commitment to renewable energy by a state in the USA's history.

According to NYSERDA, total funding committed through RESRFP17-1 is around $1.4 billion. NYSERDA will issue solicitations from time to time to enter into long-term contracts with generators and developers of renewable energy projects. The state aims to create 40,000 new, well-paid clean energy jobs by 2020 and is aiming for a 50% share of the state's electricity to come from renewable energy sources by 2030.

The next solicitation date will be on April 25, 2018, and is expected to include several new provisions.

Between December 2011 and December 2017, solar power in New York increased more than a 1,000%. At the end of December 2011, only 83 MW of solar power capacity was installed; at the end of December 2017, the number had soared to 972.2 MW.