Big response to third NYSERDA offshore wind power solicitation

Written by Nick Blenkey
proposal put to NYSERDA could see fossil fueled plant repowered

Among proposals submitted to NYSERDA is one that would see New York City’s largest power generation plant, Ravenswood, switched from fossil fuel to offshore wind. [Image: Rise Light & Power]

International energy majors and regional players have lost none of their appetite to supply New York State with offshore wind generated renewable energy. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) reports that the state’s third offshore wind solicitation drew more than 100 total proposals for eight new projects from six offshore wind developers.

Responders to the solicitation included the Ørsted/Eversource, and Equinor/BP partnerships, Community Offshore Wind (a joint venture RWE Renewables and National Grid), Leading Light Wind (a partnership between Chicago based Invenergy and New York City headquartered energyRe) and Rise Light & Power.

Community Offshore Wind and Leading Light Wind were both winners of lease areas in the New York Bight in the February 2022 BOEM lease auction.

In releases from these companies, all make promises of creating jobs on an impressive scale and investing heavily in supply chain and shoreside infrastructures.

FOSSIL-FIRED PLANT COULD BE REPOWERED

Rise Light & Power owns the Ravenswood Generating Station, New York City’s largest power generation facility. Its proposal to NYSERDA is based on repowering that fossil-fuel plant with clean power from offshore wind. That would transition Ravenswood into a clean energy hub with a mature and cost-effective interconnection of renewable offshore wind energy into New York City.

In late 2022, Rise submitted an application requesting that the New York State Public Service Commission approve a submarine electric system – the Queensboro Renewable Express – to deliver offshore wind energy over transmission in New York State to Ravenswood.

Rise has now acquired an ownership stake in an, as yet undisclosed, offshore wind project and its proposal to NYSERDA would connect one of the two Queensboro Renewable Express 1,310 MW circuits to an offshore wind farm, which would lead directly to the retirement of one of the plant’s 1960s era fossil fuel generators.

NYSERDA says the public version of the submitted proposals will be published on its website “soon.” At that point some hard facts about who is offering exactly what may emerge.

Following evaluation period, NYSERDA expects to announce the awards in spring 2023.

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