The Columbia Solar, Ridge View Solar and Rich Road Solar Projects are among 22 large-scale solar projects, including six with energy storage, across upstate New York to receive an award.

EDF Renewables North America today announced three solar projects were awarded long-term contracts by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) as part of the 2021 solicitation for large-scale renewable energy certificates. Combined, 1 gigawatt (GW) of solar + storage projects will deliver clean energy for the state.

The projects as follows represent nearly 40% of the total 2,408 MW awarded, and expect to deliver clean electricity by the end of 2025:

• Columbia Solar Energy Center: 350 MWac with 20 MW of co-located storage sited on approximately 2,000 acres in the towns of Columbia and Litchfield, Herkimer County.

• Ridge View Solar Energy Center: 350 MWac with 20 MW of co-located storage sited on approximately 2,000 acres sited in the town of Hartland, Niagara County.

• Rich Road Solar Energy Center: 240 MWac with 20 MW of co-located storage sited on approximately 1,500 acres in the town Canton, St. Lawrence County.

Stephane Desdunes, Senior Director Development, Northeast Region for EDF Renewables, said, “The team has worked diligently to progress the development of our New York solar portfolio since 2017. We are proud of the fact we have been awarded 1,313 MW of the 2020 and 2021 procurements and 1,483 MW in total since 2018. With more than 1,000 MW of solar and storage projects still in the development pipeline, EDF Renewables looks forward to working side by side with NYSERDA and New York State to achieve the 70% by 2030 goal and deliver clean energy to the residents of New York.”

Desdunes continued, “The region will benefit from procurement and employment opportunities throughout the development, construction and operational phases. Combined the projects will create approximately 1,290 prevailing wage and union construction jobs in upstate New York during peak construction and contribute millions of dollars to the Counties, Towns and School Districts during the operational life of the projects.”

Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA, said, “Advancing large-scale solar projects like these newly awarded projects are helping to build out New York’s already massive renewable energy pipeline and are central to the State’s ability to create a zero-emission electricity grid. NYSERDA will work closely with EDF Renewables to ensure the communities hosting these projects are engaged throughout the development process and the responsible siting of them will not only help protect our valuable agricultural lands, but benefit the state and local economies alike.”

EDF Renewables’ community engagement plans for the Columbia, Rich Road and Ridge View Solar Projects include annual scholarships for students in the project area school districts with interest in the trades or clean energy, and an annual Sharing the Sun Fund for local community organizations during the construction phase whereby local review committees will select the awardees. Starting in 2024, EDF Renewables will also sponsor an innovative online training course for the solar workforce and a hands-on workshop in partnership with SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in our efforts to bolster the local labor pipeline.

The expected electricity generated at full capacity is enough to meet the consumption of over 243,000 average New York homes¹. This is equivalent to avoiding over 880,000 million metric tons of carbon (CO₂) emissions annually which represents the greenhouse gas emissions from over 190,000 passenger vehicles driven over the course of one year¹.

EDF Renewables is one of the largest renewable energy developers in North America with 24 gigawatts of wind, solar, and storage projects developed throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Solar development accounts for 70% of EDF Renewables’ 15 GW pipeline. EDF Renewables has installed 80 MW of Wind Power and 187 MW of Solar Power to date in the State of New York.

NYSERDA awarded EDF Renewables 3 projects totaling 303 MWac and 10 MW of storage in the 2020 Renewable Energy Standard Solicitation and 170 MWac in the 2018 Renewable Energy Standard Solicitation.

¹ According to NYSERDA Energy & Environmental Analysis Program.

EDF Renewables North America is a market leading independent power producer and service provider with 35 years of expertise in renewable energy. The Company delivers grid-scale power: wind (onshore and offshore), solar photovoltaic, and storage projects; distributed solutions: solar and storage; and asset optimization: technical, operational, and commercial expertise to maximize performance of generating projects. The Company’s PowerFlex subsidiary offers a full suite of onsite energy solutions for commercial and industrial customers: solar, storage, EV charging, energy management systems, and microgrids. EDF Renewables’ North American portfolio consists of 24 GW of developed projects and 13 GW under service contracts. EDF Renewables North America is a subsidiary of EDF Renouvelables, the dedicated renewable energy affiliate of the EDF Group. For more information visit: www.edf-re.com. Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

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