ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York Public Service Commission on Thursday announced it is commissioning NYISO to focus its next Public Policy Transmission Needs process on facilitating the delivery of 6,000 MW of offshore wind generated off the Long Island coast to the New York City area (22-E-0633).
State law mandates that at least 9,000 MW of offshore nameplate capacity come onto the state’s grid by 2035. The PSC ordered the development of new transmission to accommodate these future resources by 2033.
A solicited proposal will be deemed complete if it includes all the facilities, equipment, and transmission or substation upgrades necessary to deliver the energy through Consolidated Edison’s local system. The project selected will also be required to obtain transmission siting approval and undergo a full environmental and community impact review.
The PSC’s call for another Zone J-to-K-based PPTN came just two days after the NYISO Board of Directors selected Propel NY Energy’s proposal to fulfill an earlier Long Island PPTN that will increase the island’s export capability by at least 3,000 MW and build three new 345-kV lines on the local transmission system. (See related story, NYISO Selects Propel Project for Long Island Transmission.)
“We conclude that this public policy requirement drives the need for additional transmission facilities, and in particular, we seek options for delivery of the output of offshore wind generating resources to New York City interconnection points,” PSC Chair Rory Christian said.
Fred Zalcman, director of the New York Offshore Wind Alliance, a consortium of wind developers, praised the PSC’s order, saying, “This week’s historic transmission decisions by New York policymakers offers a critical ‘one-two punch’ in getting clean and renewable energy online.
“New York’s transmission system was never designed to support the flow of power from offshore, and this week’s decisions demonstrate policymakers’ resolve to modernize New York’s grid and remove one of the biggest obstacles to offshore wind energy development.”