Customers wanting to support renewable green energy in New York have many more options than consumers in many nearby states. The main reason is that New York state has made a deep commitment to green energy by requiring 50% of the electricity generated in the state must come from renewable energy sources by 2030. Happily, New York has been building onto its renewable capacity for years with the bulk coming from wind, solar, and hydro generated throughout the state.
- Wind generation capacity hit 1,754 MW in 2016. Another 3,737 mw of additional wind power projects is planned, 25 in all. Most recently, the US Department of the Interior auctioned (https://www.boem.gov/new-york/) over 79,000 acres approximately 11.5 nautical miles (nm) from Jones Beach, NY to begin development of power wind generation capacity.
- New York installed 242 MW of solar electric capacity in 2015, bringing the total up to 802 MW — enough to power 136,000 homes. More development is expected through the new REV initiative.
- New York has over 300 hydroelectric plants ranging from distributed micro hydro generation facilities and cutting edge hydrokinetic projects all the way up to the 2.4-gigawatt Robert Moses Niagara hydroelectric power plant.
Currently New York state is generating 23% of its electric energy from renewables, 6,174 mw. In 2016, NYSIO improved the energy efficiency of the state’s bulk power system and reduce demand by 255 mw.
Are New York State’s renewable energy initiatives having an effect on our environment? Yes! From 2000 to 2015, air pollutants from fossil fuels power plants have dropped considerably, including SO2 emissions rates (down 97 percent), NOx emission rates (down 79%, and CO2 emission rates (down 42%), all of which improves the air quality for New York forests, rivers, and all of its residents,
According to the US Department of Energy, New York energy consumers can choose from about 25 green renewable energy plans that are 50% to 100% green from New York ESCOs in many utility footprints. If you’re looking for a way to help build New York’s renewable energy future, the best place to research, compare, and shop is at New York Energy Ratings.