The New York State Public Service Commission has sanctioned 29 urgent infrastructure projects, valued at $636.2m, to bolster the state’s transportation and electrification efforts.
The projects are expected to facilitate 642MW of electrification upgrades, expediting the decarbonisation of key sectors.
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Electric services company Con Edison will undertake five projects, totalling 380MW within its service area and worth $439.9m.
This includes a considerable expansion at Zerega Avenue to support fleet electrification, and a redesign of the Hunt’s Point electrical system, which is anticipated to reduce pollution and enable widespread electrification.
National Grid has been authorised to proceed with 22 projects in its upstate service territory, with a total investment of $126m for 184.8MW of new capacity.
The projects feature grid-enhancing technologies such as mobile energy storage units for high-power charging along major Thruway corridors, and the expansion of network components to support building and vehicle electrification across upstate New York.
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By GlobalDataNYSEG will execute a single project in the North Country valued at $37.1m, adding 30MW of new capacity to aid vehicle and building electrification, including a substantial industrial electrification initiative.
RG&E’s project, worth $33.2m, will contribute 47MW of new capacity, enhancing electric vehicle charging infrastructure and enabling large-scale building electrification.
Commission chair Rory M Christian stated: “We are approving these projects because significant grid capacity is needed to support electrification across vehicle duty classes and buildings.
“Grid constraints have already begun to limit electrification in some parts of the state. The urgent grid upgrade projects would expand grid capacity in many areas of the state, relieving urgent constraints on an accelerated basis while a broader, unified planning framework is developed.”
The projects align with the commission’s innovative approach to proactive planning for electric grid upgrades, which aims to incorporate novel utility planning methodologies that consider new loads from electrification with greater locational and temporal precision.
New York State is working towards a clean energy economy, with a focus on creating sustainable jobs, fostering economic growth through green investments and allocating a minimum of 35% of the benefits to disadvantaged communities.
The state’s comprehensive efforts are directed towards achieving an emissions-free economy by 2050, encompassing the energy, buildings, transportation and waste sectors.
In May 2023, Con Edison constructed a six-mile-long transmission line in Queens, New York.
