Yesterday, April 22, the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) announced their plan for the largest solar energy project in the State of New York.
President and CEO Kevin S. Law said LIPA released a Request for Proposals calling for 50 megawatts (MW) of solar energy to be generated here on Long Island. The project would provide enough power to sustain more than 6,500 households and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20,000 tons.
“This project will diversify Long Island’s energy portfolio, strengthen the local economy, transform the solar photovoltaic marketplace, and reduce our dependency on costly fossil fuels.” said Law
New York Governor David A. Paterson said, “As our need for energy continues to grow on Long Island and throughout the state, it is imperative that we find new ways to develop more renewable energy resources that will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. The RFP issued today, which was one of the recommendations of my Renewable Energy Task Force, is just one of the actions we are taking to meet our energy needs while reducing the State’s carbon footprint.”
LIPA envisions that the photovoltaic arrays will be installed at non-residential customer sites including; school buildings, on commercial and municipal rooftops, along parking lots, atop landfills, and at brownfield sites. This innovative project could further stimulate the solar marketplace throughout the state, fostering the creation of more “green collar” jobs.
LIPA and Long Island is already host to 90 percent of the photovoltaic systems purchased throughout the entire state. The new 50MW will account for nearly 1 % of LIPA’s total annual demand and will be the single largest block of solar energy in the state of New York.
The solar energy would be produced by one or more developers and will be introduced onto the LIPA grid and purchased by LIPA. The deadline for responses is June 27, 2008. Recommendations for an award are expected to be made at the October 2008 meeting of LIPA’s Board of Trustees.
If you want more information about LIPA’s Solar Pioneer Program for your home or business click here http://www.lipower.org/pdfs/company/pubs/brochures/solpioneer.pdf
