(Credit: Pixabay)The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced agreements on two municipally-owned sites for potential renewable energy development. Under these memorandums of understanding (MOU), NYSERDA, through its Build-Ready Program, will work closely with two municipalities, Dannemora in the North Country and Brookhaven on Long Island, to explore the feasibility of developing renewable energy projects on otherwise underutilized lands.
Today’s announcement represents progress under the State’s Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act and helps New York’s goal for 70% of the state’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030 under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, NYSERDA says.
The first MOU was executed by NYSERDA with the Town of Dannemora in Clinton County in relation to the Lyon Mountain iron ore mine, which was nominated by the Town of Dannemora and the Adirondack North Country Association. The former iron ore mine has been dormant since the late 1960s. The 282-acre site will potentially host a large-scale renewable energy project. This project complements efforts by Empire State Development’s North Country Regional Economic Development Council to lead the economic renaissance of New York State’s small cities and rural communities.
Entering into these MOUs will allow NYSERDA to conduct further due diligence and community engagement to evaluate the prospects of two large-scale renewable energy projects. If there is local acceptance, strong project feasibility, and agreement to move forward between NYSERDA and the municipalities, NYSERDA will initiate development activities including detailed engineering, interconnection, and permitting.
New York State's climate agenda calls 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. 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% renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy-wide carbon neutrality.
The climate agenda builds on New York's investments to ramp-up clean energy including over $35 billion in 120 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 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% from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35% 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.
Other recent NYSERDA projects include Governor Kathy Hochul signing a legislative package of three bills that will strengthen New York's commitment to clean energy development and energy efficiency, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and a $10 million fund to accelerate decarbonization and economic development in disadvantaged communities.
