New York’s Governor Cuomo has announced up to $30 million is available to support projects to improve the resiliency, flexibility, and integration of renewable energy resources onto New York’s electric grid. Project proposals will be evaluated based on how they improve overall grid performance, reduce energy costs, and support the state’s nation-leading clean energy goals to combat climate change.
Modernizing the grid supports the Governor’s proposed mandate for 70% renewable electricity by 2030 and goal to transition the state to a carbon-free power grid by 2040 as part of the Green New Deal.
“A critical component of the fight against climate change is making smart and efficient investments onto our electric grid,” said Governor Cuomo. “Modernizing New York’s grid will create long-lasting benefits for all New Yorkers through a more reliable and affordable system, while increasing resilience for extreme weather events and adding more renewable energy sources into our system.”
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is administering the initiative through its High Performing Grid program that seeks proposals from electric grid technology companies, New York’s utilities, universities, and researchers, to advance smart grid technologies.
These technologies diversify the supply of clean energy generation resources, enhance overall electric grid performance, and enable customers to reduce their energy costs, energy consumption, and environmental impacts.
Through a two-step competitive process, applicants will submit concept papers that undergo a rigorous evaluation process. Based on those evaluations, a select group of projects will be invited to submit full proposals for further evaluation. Awarded projects will receive funding to move forward.
Concept papers will be reviewed on a continual basis and will be accepted through November 18, 2020, or until funds are exhausted. The request for proposals will have one of five categories:
1. Technology feasibility studies
2. Research studies
3. Engineering studies
4. Product development
5. Demonstration projects
Proposals should include solutions that facilitate connecting clean energy resources to the grid; develop innovative data analytics; advanced planning, operations, and forecasting tools; or develop cybersecurity solutions for the modern grid, and demonstrate how they advance the State’s energy goals including how best to advance the state’s goal to have 70% of its electricity to come from renewable energy sources by 2030.
“New York’s clean energy future requires a modernized electric grid that is capable of delivering Governor Cuomo’s nation-leading vision for a 100% carbon-free electricity system by 2040,” said Alicia Barton, President and CEO, NYSERDA. “This NYSERDA funding will support the deployment of innovative public-private partnerships to develop, pilot and test the smart grid technologies and solutions that will accelerate our pace to a fully decarbonized electricity system.”
Since 2016, NYSERDA has awarded approximately $17 million through 34 contracts focused on advancing New York’s electric grid through smart grid technologies aiding in the analysis of solar interconnections and the integration of energy storage, digital solutions, and advanced sensor applications. This includes a project led by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to solve technical challenges when connecting clean distributed energy resources to New York’s electric grid.
EPRI’s work was made available to the New York Interconnection Technical Working Group and adopted into policy and procedures across New York. In total, $110 million is dedicated to modernizing New York’s electric grid through 2022.
Filed Under: News, Policy
