New Solar Generation and Battery Storage Project

New Solar Generation and Battery Storage Project at SUNY Delhi

New York Power Authority, SUNY Delhi and Delaware County Electric Cooperative Partner

The State University of New York (SUNY) and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) today announced a new project to build a solar and energy storage system in the Southern Tier that will provide clean, local power to the State University of New York at Delhi campus and the local community. This project is the latest milestone of progress in meeting Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's Reforming the Energy Vision strategy to create a cleaner, more resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers. SUNY Delhi will partner with NYPA and the Delaware County Electric Cooperative (DCEC) on the project.

"Our ability to install energy storage regionally will boost the resiliency of SUNY and our surrounding communities in case of natural or manmade disaster," said SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson. "My thanks to Governor Cuomo for his support and leadership in reforming our energy use and improving our infrastructure, and to NYPA and DCEC for their partnership. This is an exciting opportunity for the SUNY Delhi and the project is the latest example of "Southern Tier Soaring," the region's comprehensive strategy to revitalize communities and grow the economy."

SUNY Delhi President Michael R. Laliberte said, "This partnership is a tremendous opportunity for SUNY Delhi and Delaware County Electric Cooperative members. Our students will gain unprecedented experience with a community-scale solar and battery storage project and be uniquely qualified to enter the sustainable energy field."

The project will help move New York State closer to meeting its clean energy goals of reducing greenhouse gases by 40 percent and ensuring that half of all energy used in the state comes from renewable sources by 2030. The project's battery storage component will count toward the Governor's new energy storage mandate to accelerate the state's transition to a cleaner electric grid. The initiative, signed into law in December, set a target of deploying 1,500 megawatts of energy storage by 2025.

"NYPA is working directly with our customers to explore new and innovative ways to support their clean energy goals and the needs of their communities," said Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA's president and CEO. "Every day we are helping to realize Governor Cuomo's commitment to integrate more renewable energy resources into our state's power grid. This innovative new solar and battery storage project in the Southern Tier is an example of our great state institutions working together to provide renewable energy solutions to more New Yorkers with lasting education, environmental, and financial benefits."

The DCEC/SUNY Delhi Project, currently in the preliminary stages of planning, will be designed and implemented by NYPA. Once installed, the solar plus battery energy storage system will provide solar power generated onsite to the campus and nearby DCEC members while also serving as a laboratory for students in SUNY Delhi's Renewable Energy Integration degree programs to learn about community-scale solar energy installation, operation and maintenance. It will also aid the efforts of the larger SUNY system to meet its own energy goals.

The project's partners expect the system will be approximately 2MW of ground-mounted, storage-paired solar power constructed on 18 acres of property owned by SUNY Delhi on Arbor Hill Road. The location is adjacent to a DCEC substation, allowing the array to tie directly into the existing power distribution network. The battery will also be in this location. During design, NYPA will analyze all potential use cases for the battery, including demand response, peak shaving and/or resiliency services.

Developing the solar plus storage system will make DCEC a first-mover among municipalities and power cooperatives. The system will serve as a replicable model for rural cooperatives across New York State.

Mark Schneider, CEO of DCEC, said, "I am proud of the partnership between the Cooperative, SUNY Delhi, and NYPA because this project will help us to meet our clean energy commitments in a cost-effective manner while also helping SUNY Delhi enhance their academic programs."

State Senator Joseph Griffo said, "Partnerships such as the one between SUNY Delhi, NYPA and the DCEC expand upon the usage of renewable energy in New York State. This project will provide an alternative source of energy, while at the same time providing college students with a unique learning experience."

Assemblyman Michael J. Cusick said, "We are continuously working to increase energy efficiency in our state. This project, a partnership between NYPA, DCEC, and SUNY Delhi, will not only work with the community to create energy solutions but will also work to invest and educate our young scholars regarding the impacts of energy usage in our state. Providing college students with the visual and hands-on experience of working with such a project is a great way to instill energy conscience values in our next generation."

Project partners will also reach out to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) to share lessons from the project with rural cooperatives across the country.

This partnership represents just one of the many ways NYPA is supporting New York's ambitious climate change goals in ways that align with the financial and environmental priorities of their customers. Through another business model, NYPA is partnering with SUNY New Paltz to implement a solar energy and battery storage system which will be used at times of high electric demand and during emergencies or outages. That project is expected to complete later this year.

The SUNY Delhi project is a product of NYPA's EDGE program, which enables customers to gain access to distributed energy resources that meet their specific energy needs in a more cost-effective way. In this instance, under the EDGE program, NYPA employed a new business model designed to help reduce barriers to utility-scale solar development.

For more information about this project or other ways to become involved in renewable energy initiatives, contact NYPA's Project EDGE at Carley.Hume@nypa.gov; 914-287-3390.

Accelerating Southern Tier Soaring

Today's announcement complements "Southern Tier Soaring the region's comprehensive blueprint to generate robust economic growth and community development. The State has already invested more than $4.6 billion in the region since 2012 to lay for groundwork for the plan – attracting a talented workforce, growing business and driving innovation. Today, unemployment is down to the lowest levels since before the Great Recession; personal and corporate income taxes are down; and businesses are choosing places like Binghamton, Johnson City and Corning as a destination in which to grow and invest. Now, the region is accelerating Southern Tier Soaring with a $500 million State investment through the Upstate Revitalization Initiative, announced by Governor Cuomo in December 2015. The State's $500 million investment will incentivize private business to invest well over $2.5 billion – and the region's plan, as submitted, projects up to 10,200 new jobs. More information is available here.

About Reforming the Energy Vision

Reforming the Energy Vision is Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's strategy to lead on climate change and grow New York's economy. REV is building a cleaner, more resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers by stimulating investment in clean technologies like solar, wind, and energy efficiency and generating 50 percent of the state's electricity needs from renewable energy by 2030. Already, REV has driven 730 percent growth in the statewide solar market, enabled over 105,000 low-income households to permanently cut their energy bills with energy efficiency, and created thousands of jobs in manufacturing, engineering, and other clean tech sectors. REV is ensuring New York reduces statewide greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030 and achieves the internationally recognized target of reducing emissions 80 percent by 2050. To learn more about REV, including the Governor's $5 billion investment in clean energy technology and innovation, visit www.ny.gov/REV4NY and follow us at @Rev4NY.

About the State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the U.S., with 64 college and university campuses. In 2015–16, SUNY served nearly 1.3 million students, including nearly 600,000 in credit-bearing courses and programs and more than 700,000 through continuing education and community outreach programs.

About NYPA

NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 16 generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than 70 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. For more information visit www.nypa.gov and follow us on Twitter @NYPAenergy, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and LinkedIn.

About the Delaware County Electric Cooperative

The Delaware County Electric Cooperative, Inc. (DCEC) is a non-profit rural electric cooperative serving more than 5,300 members/customers in Delaware, Schoharie, Otsego, and Chenango Counties. Their primary mission is to provide a safe, reliable, and cost-effective electric power supply to their members.