January 27, 2019
New York

Martinsburg wind farm project awarded funds

By Marcus Wolf | Watertown Daily Times | January 27, 2019 | www.watertowndailytimes.com

MARTINSBURG – A 12-year-old commercial wind farm project stuck in the planning phase was awarded state funding last week to aid its development.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority announced on Jan. 18 that Avangrid Renewables’s Roaring Brook Wind Farm, first proposed in 2007, was among 19 other large-scale wind, solar and battery storage projects to garner a combined $1.5 billion in competitive awards. NYSERDA did not comment on the amount of the award.

The authority said it received 54 proposals for the 2018 Renewable Energy Standard solicitation, of which eight were from the north country. No other north country project was awarded funds.

“All projects submitted to NYSERDA’s solicitation were evaluated based on their cost competitiveness, the viability and maturity of the project and its developer; the benefits that the project offers to New York’s electrical grid and the amount of investment that the project will bring to New York state in areas such as employing labor, sourcing materials and making payments to the project’s host communities,” NYSERDA said. “The proposal submitted for Roaring Brook Wind was competitive in one or more of these categories relative to the other proposals received; therefore the project was selected for an award by NYSERDA.”

Avangrid has proposed to erect 39 turbines across more than 5,000 acres in the town for its Roaring Brook Wind Farm.

Despite receiving funds, the status of the 77.7 megawatt project, which the developer first proposed in 2007, is uncertain.

Former company spokesman Art Sasse previously said the project was dependent on negotiations with prospective buyers before the company could set a start date for construction. Avangrid had already received the necessary permits, Mr. Sasse previously said.

The state’s Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment must review proposed energy facilities that would produce 25 megawatts or more through the Article 10 review process, but Avangrid received the necessary permits before the requirement was established.

The Roaring Brook Wind Farm and the other 19 renewable energy projects awarded state funds last week are expected to prompt $4 billion in direct investment toward the clean energy sector, generate enough electricity for almost 550,000 homes and create more than 2,600 short- and long-term jobs, according to NYSERDA.

“The results of these solicitations are making clear that Governor Cuomo’s bold vision of a clean energy future for New York is coming to fruition far faster, and at lower cost, than anyone predicted,” said NYSERDA president and CEO Alicia Barton in a statement.

[rest of article available at source]


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2019/01/27/martinsburg-wind-farm-project-awarded-funds/