Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, D-N.Y., has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding between New York power agencies and partners to conduct a study of successful offshore wind transmission models.
With a specific focus on large-scale European projects, the study aims to determine how key learnings can guide the state’s procurement of offshore wind generation.
“New York continues to be a national leader in the development of our robust offshore wind industry, aiming to make wind energy as accessible and affordable as possible for all New Yorkers,” Cuomo says. “As we strive to meet aggressive energy goals, we are committed to developing a clean energy economy that will attract investment and create thousands of jobs by 2030.”
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) will lead the study, which aims to learn from European infrastructure design, best practices in connecting wind-generated power to transmission networks and the overall power grid, and successes in reducing the cost of delivering wind energy to customers and consumers. The New York Independent System Operator, Con Edison, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and the Long Island Power Authority will collaborate with NYPA on the initial phase of the research.
In July, the Public Service Commission authorized NYSERDA, in consultation with NYPA and LIPA, to issue Phase 1 solicitations in 2018 and 2019 for approximately 800 MW of offshore wind. The Public Service Commission also required NYSERDA to take immediate steps to study transmission solutions for Phase 2 and beyond to consider the longer-term configurations for cost-effective transmission of offshore wind and the various options for ownership and planning processes. This new study will inform the state on how to potentially apply learnings from Europe to New York for its Phase 2 procurements.
