New York state has executed contracts for proposed onshore wind and solar projects totaling 2,341 MW of capacity at an expected cost of over $4.7 billion.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) reported the contracts Dec. 3, a little over a year after it launched the state’s 2023 Renewable Energy Standard solicitation.

The 23 contracts are intended to get New York closer to its decarbonization goals and are expected to generate about 5 million MWh of electricity per year. The nominal weighted average strike price of the projects over their lifetime is $94.73/MWh, which would average about 70 cents on the average customer’s monthly utility bill.

All the projects are in upstate New York, and all but one is far removed from the New York City area, where the need for clean energy is greatest. Thanks to upstate nuclear and hydropower generation, a high percentage of northern New York’s electricity already is emissions free. The densely populated downstate area still relies heavily on fossil-fired generation.

Eliminating transmission bottlenecks to move the clean power north to south is another priority for the state.

NYSERDA President Doreen Harris said in a news release: “Today we celebrate 23 more projects that will deliver clean, sustainable energy to our state’s electric grid. New York continues to provide a reliable market for renewable energy projects, and by facilitating responsible development of these projects, we are protecting our natural resources and creating healthier communities.”

The word “celebrate” is appropriate, given events of the past 13 months.

Developers holding New York Tier 1 renewable energy certificate (REC) contracts sought inflation adjustments after the contracts became financially untenable. The state rejected the request in October 2023, prompting a mass cancellation of contracts and evisceration of the state’s renewable energy portfolio.

The 2023 Tier 1 solicitation, launched Nov. 30, 2023, was one of the state’s efforts to recover.

Importantly, the 23 contracts awarded in this solicitation are going to later-stage projects, which should limit the delay and cancellation risks that face early-stage projects. NYSERDA said several of the contracted projects already have started construction, and all are expected to be operational by 2028.

This will help the state get closer to its statutory 2030 target of 70% renewables; earlier this year, officials acknowledged they are likely to miss that goal, perhaps by a wide margin.

The upfront investment to build these 23 projects, expected to surpass $4.7 billion, will be borne by the private sector. The REC money does not start flowing to the developers until the projects are fully permitted and fully operational.

The contracts announced Dec. 3 are for the following projects and developers:

• • Dog Corners, Cordelio Power, Cayuga County.
  • Scipio Solar, Cordelio Power, Cayuga County.
  • ELP Granby Solar II, VC Renewables, Oswego County.
  • Garnet Energy Center, NextEra Energy Resources, Cayuga County.
  • Trelina Solar Energy Center, NextEra Energy Resources, Seneca County.
  • Cider Solar Farm, Hecate Energy and Greenbacker Renewable Energy Co., Genesee County.
  • Highview Solar, Cordelio Power, Wyoming County.
  • Heritage Wind, Apex Clean Energy, Orleans County.
  • Excelsior Energy Center, NextEra Energy Resources, Genesee County.
  • Little Pond Solar, Greenbacker Renewable Energy Co., Orange County.
  • Tayandenega Solar, Greenbacker Renewable Energy Co., Montgomery County.
  • Rock District Solar, Greenbacker Renewable Energy Co., Schoharie County.
  • Grassy Knoll Solar, Cordelio Power, Herkimer County.
  • Flat Hill Solar, Cordelio Power, Herkimer County.
  • Watkins Road Solar, Cordelio Power, Herkimer County.
  • Hills Solar, Cordelio Power, Herkimer County.
  • Flat Stone Solar, Cordelio Power, Oneida County.
  • Brookside Solar, AES, Franklin County.
  • Baron Winds II, RWE, Steuben County.
  • Canisteo Wind Energy Center, Invenergy, Steuben County.
  • Valley Solar, Cordelio Power, Tioga County.
  • Alle-Catt Wind, Invenergy, Allegany and Cattaraugus counties, Wyoming County.
  • Bear Ridge Solar, Cypress Creek Renewables, Niagara County.