Signed into law by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act incorporates nation-leading climate targets, including 70 percent of the state's electricity to be sourced from renewable energy by 2030 and 9,000 MW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2035.
Gov. Cuomo spoke about the importance of these targets to mitigate climate change threats and outlined specific actions at his 2021 State of the State address in January. Below are three key points he emphasized about the green infrastructure plan.
Capacity to Power 6 Million Homes
The most substantial claim in Gov. Cuomo's address was his pledge to develop 24 new solar and wind installations and develop a comprehensive energy network, including battery infrastructure and an "energy superhighway," to deliver energy statewide.
The two dozen new installations complement an additional 68 ongoing renewable projects in New York. These projects include a 200 MW solar installation in Orleans County and will be funded in part by $29 billion from the private sector. Combined, they will produce sufficient energy to power 6 million homes and create 50,000 jobs.
The US' Largest Wind Energy Projects
Gov. Cuomo also announced plans to break ground on a pair of wind turbine installations off the coast of Long Island. With a combined installed capacity of 2,400 MW, the offshore wind farms will be the two largest wind energy projects in the United States. In contrast, the average coal plant produces around 600 MW of energy.
New York now has five in-development offshore wind projects with more than 4,300 MW of capacity. This is nearly half of the state’s 9,000 MW offshore wind target for 2035.
Alliance for Clean Energy New York Offers Praise and Concerns
Responding to Gov. Cuomo's State of the State address, Alliance for Clean Energy New York executive director Anne Reynolds commended the state on securing contracts for nearly half of its offshore wind energy targets. She also praised investments in the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal and Port of Albany and spoke to the significance of the renewable energy industry's role in the state's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"These projects will all create construction jobs, permanent jobs, local tax revenue, and lease payments to local landowners. And, they will ultimately create pollution-free power to modernize NY’s grid and clean the air,” she said in a press statement.
The Alliance for Clean Energy, however, did express concerns as to how new solar and wind projects would be taxed. It called upon legislators to implement consistent statewide taxation standards with the option for municipalities to continue utilizing negotiated Payments in Lieu of Taxes.