N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that the New York State Public Service Commission has set a course for the state’s first procurements of offshore wind to support New York’s goal of 2.4 gigawatts of new offshore wind generation by 2030, enough to power 1.2 million New York households.
This first phase of the state’s procurements includes obtaining approximately 800 megawatts of offshore wind by 2019. With the issuance of this seminal order, New York has taken another major step toward the development of offshore wind off its Atlantic Coast, which will support the state’s goal to obtain 50 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2030.
“This action represents another major step toward establishing a clean energy future that is secure, reliable and cost-effective,” said Cuomo. “Robust offshore wind development is not only critical to meeting our clean energy and carbon reduction goals, this investment has the potential to create thousands of jobs and fuel a $6 billion industry for New York as it combats climate change.”
To achieve the Governor’s 2.4 gigawatts goal, the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority will procure approximately 800 megawatts of offshore wind through a solicitation issued in the fourth quarter of 2018, in consultation and coordination with the New York Power Authority and the Long Island Power Authority.
Awards are expected to be announced in the second quarter of 2019. If needed, a second solicitation will be issued in 2019.
Offshore wind costs have declined significantly in Europe and elsewhere around the world. As the industry develops, New York is ideally positioned to capitalize on these declining costs, economic opportunity, and renewable energy resource in support of the state’s climate goals. New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) estimates that by 2030, New York can attract a $6 billion New York industry that will support nearly 5,000 new jobs in manufacturing, installation and operation of offshore wind facilities. Nearly 2,000 of these jobs would be in operations and maintenance, providing long-term career opportunities.
The New York State Offshore Wind Master Plan was announced earlier this year by Cuomo. The Governor also directed NYSERDA to invest $15 million in clean energy workforce development and infrastructure advancement to train workers to support the growth of the offshore wind industry. In June, NYSERDA was awarded an $18.5 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to lead the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium. This nationwide offshore wind research and development consortium will be supported through a public-private partnership including the offshore wind industry, utilities, research laboratories, and other states.
NYSERDA will hold a technical conference to discuss topics related to the solicitation process at The Department of Public Service’s New York City office (90 Church Street, New York) and via a webinar on Monday, July 23.