New York launched its eighth large-scale renewable energy solicitation June 20, seeking proposals for land-based projects to help the state meet its emission-reduction goals.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) said eligibility applications are due July 15; bid proposals are due Aug. ; and initial award notifications are expected by Sept. 30.

The 2024 Renewable Energy Standard request for proposals — RESRFP24-1 — will result in NYSERDA procuring Tier 1 renewable energy certificates from renewables that enter commercial operation before Nov. 30, 2026, with a possible deadline extension to Nov. 30, 2029.

A productive RFP would help NYSERDA continue to refill the state’s renewable energy pipeline, which suffered a major setback in late 2023 as 81 projects canceled Tier 1 contracts totaling 7.5 GW of nameplate capacity because of rising costs that made it financially untenable to proceed to construction.

As the pipeline collapsed and chances of the state reaching its goal of 70% renewable energy by 2030 grew increasingly remote, NYSERDA launched RESRFP23-1 on Nov. 30, 2023.

On April 29, it announced the 2023 solicitation had yielded tentative contracts for 24 projects totaling 2.4 GW of capacity, all of them mature proposals and many of them party to previously canceled contracts.

For RESRFP24-1, NYSERDA is encouraging all project developers to submit proposals, including new market entrants. The solicitation includes the inflation-indexing provisions that have been included in other recent renewable solicitations in the era of spiraling costs.

It also includes requirements to ensure the state’s societal goals beyond climate protection are addressed, including labor provisions, stakeholder engagement requirements, disadvantaged community commitments and agricultural land preservation.

“Private renewable energy developers are ready and willing to invest billions of dollars into New York, providing jobs and tax revenue for our local municipalities,” Marguerite Wells, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, said in the state’s announcement of RESRFP24-1. “We expect numerous quality responses to this RFP, and we look forward to NYSERDA awarding projects that will be built expeditiously to bring benefits to New Yorkers as soon as possible.”

NYSERDA has scheduled a webinar for prospective bidders on June 27.