New York Power Authority And LS Power Submit Proposals For New Transmission Solutions To Deliver Clean Energy To New York City
Proposals Address a New York Independent System Operator ‘Public Policy Transmission Need’ to Deliver up to 8,000 MW to New York City
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) and LS Power (through an affiliated entity, LS Power Grid New York) have submitted joint proposals to the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) in response to its April 4 Public Policy Transmission Need solicitation to deliver offshore wind generation into New York City. The joint proposals, collectively named Five Boro Energy Connect, will inject clean, renewable energy from offshore wind facilities into the statewide energy grid and help reduce New York City’s reliance on greenhouse gas emitting fossil fuels. The proposals focus on upgrading and modernizing transmission infrastructure to deliver 4,770 megawatts (MW) to up to 8,000 MW of offshore wind resources to the state’s power grid.
“The Power Authority has a proven track record of success in developing large transmission projects to help reduce reliance on fossil fuels by creating new pathways for the flow of clean energy,” said NYPA President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll. “The innovative Five Boro Energy Connect transmission proposals developed in collaboration with LS Power are designed to ensure energy resiliency, reduce emissions, and create clean energy jobs while also engaging New Yorkers in the clean energy transition.”
“LS Power’s joint proposals with NYPA will deliver state-of-the-art transmission solutions that provide New York City with more renewable generation to integrate into the electric grid and increased reliability to meet power demand, while also minimizing environmental impacts,” said LS Power CEO Paul Segal. “These proposals are cost effective and beneficial for electricity consumers and build upon our past shared success with NYPA in delivering the Central East Energy Connect project in upstate New York on time and on budget.”
Helping New York achieve the stated goals in its Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act), Five Boro Energy Connect will deliver statewide benefits, including:
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by delivering offshore wind generation into the state’s electric grid.
- Facilitate delivery of more power and redundancy to the state’s transmission infrastructure network to meet New York’s growing electricity needs and ensuring uninterrupted delivery of clean energy to high demand areas.
- Enhance resiliency to help withstand storms, inclement weather patterns and the effects of climate change by fortifying the transmission system with state-of-the-art, durable infrastructure.
- Minimize environmental impacts by leveraging existing industrial locations and optimizing the project’s submarine cable routing to limit impacts from new transmission constructed in New York’s waterways.
- Create thousands of clean energy and construction jobs to engage New Yorkers in advancing a clean energy economy.
- Engage communities in every step of the process as the proposed project is planned, designed, developed, built and operational.
- Mitigate impacts on consumers through reduced transmission congestion and lower production costs.
NYPA and LS Power submitted proposals branded as Five Boro Energy Connect to NYISO on June 17 for evaluation in response to NYISO’s solicitation calling for transmission proposals that will upgrade existing transmission facilities in New York City. The Five Boro Energy Connect team submitted solutions developed to meet the requirements set forth by the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the NYISO tariff, including the need to deliver renewable offshore wind to New York City by January 1, 2033. The next step is a viability and sufficiency analysis that is expected in the fourth quarter of 2024 and then a NYISO board decision that is expected in the second quarter of 2025.
A collaboration of public and private energy organizations, NYPA and LS Power bring their unique skills, assets, and proven track record to support New York’s complex energy landscape. The Five Boro Energy Connect team has designed solutions that address the energy and transmission needs of New Yorkers and can successfully deliver the preferred transmission solutions for the state. The Five Boro team is committed to working with communities and stakeholders at every stage to understand local views and values, prioritize the well-being of communities and protect the surrounding ecosystem.
The two organizations have a history of working together to design and successfully deliver transmission solutions, and in December 2023, completed the Central East Energy Connect transmission project, a complex rebuild of 93 miles of overhead transmission lines and substations in Oneida, Herkimer, Montgomery and Albany counties. Over the last five years, NYPA and LS Power have invested a combined $2.1B to bolster New York’s transmission system. NYPA has recently developed other major transmission projects in New York with co-developers, including Smart Path Connect, CleanPath NY and Propel NY Energy.
NYISO issued its solicitation in response to a PSC order issued on June 22, 2023, recognizing the need for transmission solutions to help deliver generation from offshore wind into New York City to help meet the clean energy goals outlined in the Climate Act, which calls for 9,000 MW of offshore wind by 2035. For more information, visit: www.nyiso.com.
Source: NYPA