New York releases offshore wind solicitation for clean energy development

New York has released its third competitive offshore wind solicitation, seeking enough clean, renewable energy to power at least 1.5m homes in the state.

The procurement, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), includes the first phase of a $500m investment in offshore wind ports, manufacturing, and supply chain infrastructure as announced in the Governor’s 2022 State of the State report.

This announcement builds on a series of offshore wind developments for the state in 2022 and is a critical next step toward achieving New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035.

The solicitation includes a provision for a “meshed ready” offshore transmission configuration that will facilitate offshore wind projects’ transition to a future system that can grow over time.

Evaluation points will be awarded for repurposing existing downstate fossil-based electric generation infrastructure and utilizing energy storage to enhance future system reliability and support more renewable energy on the grid.

A draft version of the solicitation was released for public comment in March 2022 and a follow-up request for information in May 2022, with over 1,300 comments received. NYSERDA incorporated feedback into the solicitation.