The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Cuomo details plan to combat climate change
ALBANY, N.Y. » Gov. Andrew Cuomo outlined his initiative to combat climate change and create a new green economy, during the third installment of his State of the State address from the Capitol in Albany, Wednesday morning.
“Our planet is in crisis. By every metric it is clear. Sea levels are rising, ice caps are shrinking, California is burning, the arctic is melting, deserts are flooding. We have a once in 100-year storm happening twice a year. 2020 was tied for the hottest year in history,” Cuomo stated on the stark climate crisis facing the globe.
“Nature is telling us, do something or I will,” Cuomo added.
The governor continued on the need to transform the economy to meet the changing climate reality.
“A true transformation to a green economy must create a complete green energy system to replace the old carbon-based supply,” Cuomo remarked.
To that end, Cuomo presented a four-point plan including, building large-scale renewable projects, homegrown manufacturing, building transmission capacity and creating a green energy workforce training program.
“All four elements must be simultaneous and synchronized in order to achieve scale in a viable system. That is our challenge and that is
what we must do,” Cuomo opined.
In meeting those goals, Cuomo announced a $26 billion public-private partnership to build nearly 100 renewable projects.
“Our program provides a diversity of project styles and locations. 68 of those projects have been commenced, including 52 solar projects, 13 on-shore, and three off-shore wind projects,” Cuomo stated.
“These projects include the 20-megawatt solar project in Saratoga. A 20-megawatt solar project in Cortland. A 180-megawatt solar project in Livingston. A 78-megawatt wind project in Lewis County, as well as an awesome 816-megawatt wind project 20 miles off the shore of Long Island and an 880-megawatt wind project 30 miles off Montauk point,” Cuomo continued on projects currently underway.
“These projects will not only create power but bring needed economic opportunity to struggling parts of our state,” Cuomo added on what he says will create nearly 11,000 jobs Upstate.
The governor also announced the start of forging two offshore wind farms more than 90 turbines off the shore of Long Island, noting those projects will provide about 2,500 megawatts of power.
Cuomo also spoke to a project at the Port of Albany which he states will create 500 construction jobs and yield 300 highlyskilled full-time workers.
“We will advance our green manufacturing capacity and the jobs that go with it,” Cuomo said.
“We will establish the nation’s first off-shore wind tower manufacturing facility at the Port of Albany, transforming a brownfield into a state of the art factory for wind towers,” Cuomo continued.
“They will build 150 of these 450-foot wind turbine towers every year. Materials will be delivered by rail and the finished product will be shipped out by river to off-shore sites. Taking advantage of a fast-paced and growing market like the East Coast, the Capital District will become a center for this emerging technology,” Cuomo added.
The governor explained that with this plan, New York will have five active port facilities serving the off-shore wind industry, more than any other state.
“Altogether, our offshore wind and land-based renewable projects will reduce carbon emissions by almost 16 million metric tons per year, attract nearly $26 billion dollars in direct investment and create over 17,000 goodpaying jobs,” Cuomo noted.
“This will help stimulate the state’s economic recovery from the pandemic, while leading the way to the new green energy economy,” Cuomo added on the economic impact.
The governor also spoke to the need to form a green energy transmission superhighway.
According to Cuomo, the green transmission grid would be for three projects, one in northeast corner in state to New York City, another from Massena through Marcy to Rock Tavern in Orange County and build a new line to underground carry power 70 miles to New York City. Line from Leeds in Greene County to New York City.
“To break the current grid congestion, which is a major problem, we will build an 86-mile smart path project in the North Country. 20 miles of transmission in Western New York to maximize the renewable energy output from Niagara Falls to Elma in Erie County,” Cuomo said.
“A 100-mile line from Marcy to New Scotland in Albany County. And a 50-mile transmission line from Rensselaer County to Dutchess County,” Cuomo continued.
“All of these projects will break the congestion, open the grid and all of these projects will break ground this year,” Cuomo added.
In addition, according to the governor, New York will continue to develop and deploy state-of-the-art renewable energy storage technology and facilities to generate electricity, build the capacity for storage, and help the state achieve its ambitious climate plans.
To that end, the New York Power Authority has already begun construction on a large-scale, 20-megawatt battery storage project in Northern New York, one of the largest storage projects in the State’s growing portfolio of nearly 1,000 megawatts of contracted storage projects. These projects will help meet the electricity demands of 1.2 million New York homes using renewable energy.
Under the governor’s plan, the state will also seek to train the green energy workforce.
According to Cuomo, the state is investing $20 million in a new Offshore Wind Training Institute based at SUNY Stony Brook and Farmingdale State College. The Institute will train at least 2,500 New Yorkers for good-paying jobs in wind and renewable. energy.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the State University of New York will issue the first solicitation for advanced technology training partners to leverage our SUNY system and train the first group of workers beginning this summer.