New York is seeking to generate 70 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. On Earth Day in April, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in excess of 20 large-scale infrastructure projects to accelerate clean energy development in the state. These projects are expected to attract nearly $1.5 billion in private investment that will include New York's first utility-scale solar project in Upstate New York: the 20-MW Branscomb Solar project, developed by CS Energy and owned by Goldman Sachs Renewable Power.

This, however, won't be the largest photovoltaic (PV) power plant in the state. That distinction belongs to the 32-MW Long Island Solar Farm (LISF) at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) site in Upton. The 200-acre development, operated by True South, Inc., includes more than 160,000 ground-mounted solar panels and generates sufficient energy to power around 4,500 homes.

Unique and Unlikely Project

The LSIF is a unique solar development that stands out for several different reasons. In addition to being the largest utility-scale PV power plant in the Eastern United States, it was built on federal land thanks to collaborative efforts from the following five interest groups: the U.S. Department of Energy (federal agency), BNL (research institution), Long Island Power Authority (electric utility), BP Solar (private business), and the general public. 

Connected to the Long Island Power Authority grid in 2011, the project serves as a model of leadership and innovation for public-private partnerships involving large-scale renewable energy projects, but shouldn't be looked to as a template for future installations given its unique circumstances. Specifically, the project benefited from the BNL site, which was already adjacent to an existing substation and located in close proximity to large tracts of unused property.

Research Component

To satisfy the Department of Energy research requirements for developing a commercial property on federal land, BP Solar project manager Richard Chandler developed terms of consideration with a total value of around $6 million over a 20-year period. This included materials and a two-pronged approach to research involving the addition of data collection instrumentation at the site and the establishment of a dedicated research array. At the latter, researchers study and test renewable energy technologies including energy storage devices and smart-grid ready inverters.

Environmental Impact

According to BNL, the LISF is responsible for a net loss of 30,950 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, or 1.2 million metric tons through 40 years, relative to conventional energy facilities on Long Island. Other environmental impacts include 842 metric tons of carbon dioxide sequestration lost per year as a result of the removal of trees and 80 metric tons of methane avoided over four decades.