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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) has issued final siting permits for its first two major solar facilities, Riverhead Solar 2 in Suffolk County and Morris Ridge Solar Energy Center in Livingston County.
According to Cuomo, the siting approvals for the two facilities are the fastest in state history.
Riverhead is a planned 36-megawatt solar energy facility, while the Morris Ridge Solar Energy Center will be a 177-megawatt solar electric facility coupled with 83-megawatt battery energy storage in the Town of Mount Morris.
Officials said that together, the facilities are expected to generate enough renewable energy to power more than 46,000 New York homes and reduce carbon emissions by more than 200,000 metric tons each year - the equivalent of taking more than 41,000 cars off the road annually.
“As part of our aggressive clean and renewable energy goals, we're committed to protecting New York State from the effects of climate change and helping to ensure renewable energy sources can be built and distributed easily and efficiently," Cuomo said in an announcement.
"New York has long been a national leader on climate change, and with the approval of these two projects, we are taking significant steps toward saving the environment and fostering new jobs and investment to bring our economy back better, stronger, and greener from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The two projects are expected to create more than 430 full- and part-time jobs, while spurring more than $200 million in private investment to aid the state’s economic recovery from the outbreak of COVID-19.
"In keeping with Governor Cuomo's goal for a clean energy economy, today's decision demonstrates how New York State is working to more quickly advance development of major renewable energy facilities, while also ensuring the protection of the environment and consideration of all pertinent social, economic, and environmental factors in permitting of such facilities with input from local governments and host communities," ORES Acting Executive Director Houtan Moaveni said. "We look forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders as these facilities are constructed."
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