The New York Public Service Commission had approved on Thursday two renewable energy projects, which are expected to boost clean power in the state and put the state on track to meet its climate goal.
According to the governor’s office, two power superhighways from Delaware County and Canada will provide enough solar, wind, and hydro-powered electricity to cut the state’s reliance on fossil fuels in half.
Among the two projects, Clean Path New York, a collaboration between the New York Power Authority, EnergyRe, and Invenergy, will bring more than 7.5 million MWh of solar and wind energy to the city.
According to a corporate executive, the project will then go through a permitting procedure that will analyze the environmental consequences of the siting, design, construction, and operation. If the licenses are issued, Clean Path NY will begin operations in 2027.
The Champlain Hudson Power Express project, also approved this week, will bring 1,250 megawatts of hydro electricity from Quebec, Canada. According to a business spokeswoman, the project, which is being developed by Hydro-Quebec and Blackstone-owned Transmission Developers, has already secured all essential permissions, including a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need. It will start construction this year and be ready to run by 2025.
The projects will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the road, said the state government.
The groups behind the initiatives have also pledged to fund programs that help communities that have been disproportionately affected by climate change.
The Champlain Hudson Power Express project has established a US$117 million trust fund to be administered by the Hudson River Foundation over three decades for environmental and advocacy projects related to aquatic health, and Clean Path NY has said it will invest US$70 million in environmental justice programs.
Green jobs and investments in aquatic and environmental justice projects are promised by the firms engaged. However, some organizations are concerned about the impact of the project on Indigenous communities, and others seek assurances that the energy transition will result in the closure of fossil fuel-powered facilities in the city’s most vulnerable regions.
