Cuomo pledges to expand New York’s green infrastructure in State of State
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Gov. Andrew cuomo described his green energy goals on day 3 of his state of the state speaking series. Mike Groll/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
By Rachel Vick
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday described plans to expand New York’s renewable energy infrastructure and reduce the state’s dependence on fossil fuels, including through the creation of new energy storage batteries and coastal wind farms in and around New York City
Cuomo, delivering the third installment in his State of the State speaking series, said 24 large-scale projects across the state are vital for reducing carbon emissions while creating tens of thousands of new jobs.
"Green energy is a pressing moral imperative and a prime economic opportunity,” Cuomo said. “New York can and will be the nation's leader for renewable energy innovation and production, all while securing jobs of the future for New Yorkers.“
He specifically hailed development of a 20-megawatt New York Power Authority battery storage facility upstate. Construction on a similar project in Astoria with five times the storage capacity is scheduled to begin by 2022.
Two wind farms off the shores of Long Island will create 2,490 megawatts of carbon-free energy — the equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the road, according to New York State Energy Research and Development Authority estimates.
One farm, located 60 miles off the coast of Montauk, will deliver renewable energy 200 miles under the Long Island Sound to Astoria. Costa Constantinides, chair of the City Council’s Committee on Environmental Protection, said the project was a “big win” for his district, and New York City.
“Astoria can still be a conduit for 55 percent of the power,” Constantinides said, referring to Western Queens’ history of in-city power production.
He welcomed the effort to dismantle existing fossil fuel-burning infrastructure in northern Astoria.
“Seeing those stacks come down and have them be replaced by renewable energy like this is what we need to move forward,” he said. “We still create good jobs, but without fossil fuel infrastructure.”
The state has committed to running on 70 percent renewable energy by 2030, a goal impossible to achieve with drastic cuts to current fossil fuel use, according to NYSERDA.
In his speech, Cuomo said the state will focus on environmental justice in areas most impacted by the climate crisis and fossil fuel emissions, particularly low-income communities of color. Residents in neighborhoods like northern Astoria experience disparate rates of asthma and respiratory issues due to their proximity to power plants, exacerbating the risk of COVID-19.
The state is also investing in a training program at SUNY schools intended to prepare women and people of color for green infrastructure contracts, thus achieving the state’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise inclusion mandates, Cuomo said.
New York on Wednesday issued a request for proposal to develop energy channels needed to deliver renewable energy downstate and into the five boroughs — no easy feat, Cuomo said.
“These are dense, complicated, populated regions,” Cuomo said. “Building transmission capacity is not as easy as it sounds and it has historically been the single greatest stumbling block.”
