CONQUEST, N.Y. — Garnet Energy Center, LLC recently won state approval to build and operate a 200-megawatt (MW) solar farm in the town of Conquest in Cayuga County The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment (siting board) granted approval on Oct. 27. The siting board’s decision followed a “detailed review […]
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The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment (siting board) granted approval on Oct. 27.
The siting board also cites industry reports as indicating the project is estimated to cost around $215 million.
“The Garnet Energy solar farm and other renewable-energy projects built or currently under development are vital to meet the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act’s aggressive carbon reduction and clean-energy targets to combat climate change,” Rory Christian, chair of the siting board, said. “This solar farm will benefit all New Yorkers by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, boosting clean-energy investment, creating clean-energy jobs, and improving our environment.”
Garnet Energy Center, LLC is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida–based NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, one of the world’s largest generators of wind and solar energy, with generating facilities across the U.S. and in Canada.
After reviewing and modifying some of the agreed-upon certificate conditions submitted by the settlement parties, the siting board determined that the solar farm will be consistent with the energy policies and long-range planning objectives and strategies contained in the most recent state energy plan. Based on that, and other factors, the siting board determined that the project will be a “beneficial addition” to the electric-generation capacity of the state and will also “serve the goals of improving fuel diversity, grid reliability, and modernization of grid infrastructure.”
Garnet Energy’s formal application to the siting board was deemed compliant Nov. 1, 2021. The 11 parties to the proceeding included several state agencies, the local municipality, and labor and community groups. The record includes more than 50 public comments and statements.
The siting board says it held on-the-record, virtual public-statement hearings and compiled an evidentiary record containing expert and factual testimony. Garnet Energy is the 18th renewable-energy project that the siting board has approved since 2018.
About the project
The project will create new jobs, provide long-term revenue, and economic development for Cayuga County and the town of Conquest, the state said.
According to estimates provided from the developer, the project will provide a “positive economic impact,” including more than 225 jobs during construction and three to four full-time positions during facility operations. The developer also said the largest expenditure during the project’s construction phase will be $25.6 million spent on local employment.
In addition, the state says local businesses will have opportunities to supply materials for the construction effort, and service-industry businesses such as hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues will benefit from an increase in worker activity throughout construction, the state contends.
The project will create employment opportunities for those in the construction trades, including equipment operators, truck drivers, laborers, and electricians.
The project will consist of commercial-scale solar arrays, access roads, buried electric collection lines, a collection substation, and electrical interconnection facilities. Additional facilities would include a 345-kV switchyard which will be transferred to New York Power Authority to own, maintain, and operate. The project will be located on land leased from owners of private property.
The project will include a 20 MW energy storage system which will charge “exclusively” off the solar array.
The facility’s operation will result in a reduction of about 72,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from New York’s power sector in 2023 — “the equivalent of taking 15,000 cars off the road.” The facility will also result in reductions of SOx (sulfur oxides) and NOx (nitroden oxides).
The project area encompasses about 2,289 vacant acres and its footprint is about 900 acres. The solar farm is expected to begin commercial operation in 2023. Through land agreements, the project developer says it supports the agricultural economy by infusing revenue into family farms and diversifying their income.
According to industry estimates, the 200-MW solar farm will produce enough electricity for more than 32,000 average-sized homes annually.