Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a new project to build a solar and energy
storage system in the Southern Tier that will provide clean, local power to the State
University of New York at Delhi campus and the local community. This project is the
latest milestone of progress in meeting the Governor’s Reforming the Energy Vision
strategy to create a cleaner, more resilient and affordable energy system for all New
Yorkers. SUNY Delhi will partner with the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and the
Delaware County Electric Cooperative (DCEC) on the project.
“New York State is leading the nation in making smart investments in renewable
energy,” Governor Cuomo said. “This innovative new solar and battery storage project
in the Southern Tier is an example of our great state institutions working together to
provide renewable energy solutions to more New Yorkers with lasting education,
environmental, and financial benefits.”
The project will help move New York State closer to meeting its clean energy goals of
reducing greenhouse gases by 40 percent and ensuring that half of all energy used in
the state comes from renewable sources by 2030. The project’s battery storage
component will count toward the Governor’s new energy storage mandate to accelerate
the state’s transition to a cleaner electric grid. The initiative, signed into law in
December, set a target of deploying 1,500 megawatts of energy storage by 2025.
“NYPA is working directly with our customers to explore new and innovative ways to
support their clean energy goals and the needs of their communities,” said Gil C.
Quiniones, NYPA’s president and CEO. “At the same time, every day we are helping
to realize Governor Cuomo’s commitment to integrate more renewable energy
resources into our state’s power grid.”
The DCEC/SUNY Delhi Project, currently in the preliminary stages of planning, will be
designed and implemented by NYPA. Once installed, the solar plus battery energy
storage system will provide solar power generated onsite to the campus and nearby
DCEC members while also serving as a laboratory for students in SUNY Delhi’s
Integrated Energy Systems degree programs to learn about community-scale solar
energy installation, operation and maintenance. It will also aid the efforts of the larger
SUNY system to meet its own energy goals.
“Our ability to install energy storage regionally will boost the resiliency of SUNY and our
surrounding communities in case of natural or manmade disaster,” said SUNY
Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson. “My thanks to Governor Cuomo for his support and
leadership in reforming our energy use and improving our infrastructure, and to NYPA
and DCEC for their partnership. This is an exciting opportunity for the SUNY Delhi.”
The project’s partners expect the system will be approximately 2MW of ground-
mounted, storage-paired solar power constructed on 18 acres of property owned by
SUNY Delhi on Arbor Hill Road. The location is adjacent to a DCEC substation, allowing
the array to tie directly into the existing power distribution network. The battery will also
be in this location. During design, NYPA will analyze all potential use cases for the
battery, including demand response, peak shaving and/or resiliency services.
Developing the solar plus storage system will make DCEC a first-mover among
municipalities and power cooperatives. The system will serve as a replicable model for
rural cooperatives across New York State.
Mark Schneider, CEO of DCEC, said, “I am proud of the partnership between the
Cooperative, SUNY Delhi, and NYPA because this project will help us to meet our clean
energy commitments in a cost-effective manner while also helping SUNY Delhi enhance
their academic programs.”
State Senator Joseph Griffo said, “Partnerships such as the one between SUNY
Delhi, NYPA and the DCEC expand upon the usage of renewable energy in New York
State. This project will provide an alternative source of energy, while at the same time
providing college students with a unique learning experience.”
Assemblyman Michael J. Cusick said, “We are continuously working to increase
energy efficiency in our state. This project, a partnership between NYPA, DCEC, and
SUNY Delhi, will not only work with the community to create energy solutions but will
also work to invest and educate our young scholars regarding the impacts of energy
usage in our state. Providing college students with the visual and hands-on experience
of working with such a project is a great way to instill energy conscience values in our
next generation.”
Project partners will also reach out to the National Rural Electric Cooperative
Association (NRECA) to share lessons from the project with rural cooperatives across
the country.
This partnership represents just one of the many ways NYPA is supporting New York’s
ambitious climate change goals in ways that align with the financial and environmental
priorities of their customers. Through another business model, NYPA is partnering with
SUNY New Paltz to implement a solar energy and battery storage system which will be
used at times of high electric demand and during emergencies or outages. That project
is expected to complete later this year.
The SUNY Delhi project is a product of NYPA’s EDGE program, which enables
customers to gain access to distributed energy resources that meet their specific energy
needs in a more cost-effective way. In this instance, under the EDGE program, NYPA
employed a new business model designed to help reduce barriers to utility-scale solar
development.
For more information about this project or other ways to become involved in renewable
energy initiatives, contact NYPA’s Project EDGE at 914-287-3390;
Carley.Hume@nypa.gov.
About Reforming the Energy Vision
Reforming the Energy Vision is Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's strategy to lead on
climate change and grow New York's economy. REV is building a cleaner, more
resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers by stimulating investment in
clean technologies like solar, wind, and energy efficiency and generating 50 percent of
the state's electricity needs from renewable energy by 2030. Already, REV has driven
730 percent growth in the statewide solar market, enabled over 105,000 low-income
households to permanently cut their energy bills with energy efficiency, and created
thousands of jobs in manufacturing, engineering, and other clean tech sectors. REV is
ensuring New York reduces statewide greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030
and achieves the internationally recognized target of reducing emissions 80 percent by
2050. To learn more about REV, including the Governor's $5 billion investment in clean
energy technology and innovation, visit www.ny.gov/REV4NY and follow us
at @Rev4NY.
About NYPA
NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 16
generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than
70 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. For more
information visit www.nypa.gov and follow us on Twitter @NYPAenergy, Facebook,
Instagram, Tumblr and LinkedIn.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher
education in the U.S., with 64 college and university campuses. In 2015–16, SUNY
served nearly 1.3 million students, including nearly 600,000 in credit-bearing courses
and programs and more than 700,000 through continuing education and community
outreach programs.
About the Delaware County Electric Cooperative
The Delaware County Electric Cooperative, Inc. (DCEC) is a non-profit rural electric
cooperative serving more than 5,300 members/customers in Delaware, Schoharie,
Otsego, and Chenango Counties. Their primary mission is to provide a safe, reliable,
and cost-effective electric power supply to their members.
Remember to Subscribe!
Posts
