As Climate Week gets underway, New York has plenty of clean energy progress to celebrate – and plenty of work still ahead.
From offshore wind and solar to energy storage and transmission, projects across the state are already generating clean power, creating jobs, strengthening the grid, and helping protect New Yorkers from volatile energy costs. Here’s where we stand – and where we need to go next.
[Skip to: Offshore Wind, Solar, Energy Storage, Transmission, Final Word on Planning]
Offshore Wind
Why Wind
Offshore wind is about more than megawatts. It’s about energy independence rooted here at home – power that isn’t subject to international conflicts and that can help protect families from the rollercoaster ride of rising energy costs.
New York’s coast is well positioned for offshore wind development, with strong wind conditions and a relatively shallow sea floor that extends for miles offshore.
And for the densely populated downstate region, offshore wind provides something especially important: large-scale generation of clean, locally produced power delivered directly into areas of highest demand.
Where We Are
New York already has one offshore wind farm operating and two major projects under construction. Together, Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind 1 are expected to add another 1,734 megawatts of clean power when completed.
South Fork Wind – Operational
- 12 wind turbines
- 132 megawatts
- Enough to power 70,000 homes
- 1,000 workers across five states contributed to the project
Sunrise Wind – In Construction
- 84 wind turbines
- 924 megawatts
- Enough to power approximately 600,000 homes
- Expected to begin operating in 2027
Empire Wind 1 – In Construction
- 54 wind turbines
- 810 megawatts
- Enough to power approximately 500,000 homes
- Expected to begin operating in 2027
Proof It’s Working: Offshore Wind Delivers During the Cold
This winter offered a real-world demonstration of what offshore wind can bring to the grid.
During January’s extreme cold, the nation’s two operating utility-scale offshore wind farms performed as well as gas-fired power plants and better than coal-fired facilities, according to reporting from Canary Media. South Fork Wind posted a 52% capacity factor for the month – putting it on par with New York’s most efficient gas plants.
As Liz Burdock, president and CEO of Oceantic Network, put it, offshore wind is demonstrating that it can provide “reliable power when the grid needs it the most.”
Where We Need to Go
- Fund community engagement through the Offshore Wind Predevelopment Support Program.
- Ensure state-led support to preserve progress and meet New York’s climate targets.
- Support projects that can continue advancing interconnection, state permits, and engineering design while federal permitting and contracting are stalled.
- Fight federal efforts to halt this stable, affordable domestic energy source.
Solar
Why Solar
Solar energy has been one of the brightest areas of New York’s clean energy transition. It means a more reliable energy grid, good-paying jobs, lower costs for ratepayers, and fewer harmful emissions.
Where We Are
- New York has now installed more than eight gigawatts of distributed solar.
- Enough to power more than 1.3 million homes and businesses.
- The state is ahead of schedule for its 10-gigawatt goal by 2030.
- Generated approximately $12.2 billion in private investment
- Supports more than 16,000 jobs statewide.
And solar isn’t just adding clean electricity to the grid. It’s increasingly showing its value when New Yorkers need power most.
Proof It’s Working: Solar Shows Up During Peak Demand
On June 3, New York set a new solar generation record, with solar providing approximately 29% of statewide electricity demand during the noon hour.
And during the first week of July’s heat wave, rooftop and community solar helped New York avoid an estimated $200 million in peak grid costs, according to NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen Harris.
That builds on the estimated $90 million in wholesale electricity costs solar saved New Yorkers last summer by easing pressure on the grid during periods of peak demand.
As Harris recently wrote, those investments are paying dividends by “strengthening the electric grid and reducing costs for New Yorkers during periods of highest demand.”
Where We Need to Go
- Advance programs and incentives to achieve 20 gigawatts of distributed solar by 2035 and six gigawatts of energy storage by 2030.
- The Governor must sign the SUNNY Act, which would legalize “balcony solar” – small, plug-in panels that families can use to generate renewable energy and lower their energy bills.
- The State Legislature must pass Auto Solar Permitting so projects can be completed more efficiently, saving New Yorkers both time and money.
Energy Storage
Why Energy Storage
New York needs more energy storage – a safe, reliable, affordable solution for a grid already under stress.
Energy storage collects electricity and releases it when it’s needed most, including during heat waves, cold snaps, and other periods of extreme demand. That helps stabilize the grid, reduce electricity costs, and decrease reliance on high-polluting peaker plants in surrounding communities.
Energy storage systems are also subject to extensive fire and safety requirements designed to protect communities.
Where We Are
- New York now has more than 500 megawatts of energy storage installed, with nearly 1,500 additional megawatts contracted or awarded.
- The state has set a goal of reaching six gigawatts of energy storage by 2030 – meaning there is still significant work ahead.
- New York has also updated its fire and building codes governing energy storage systems, strengthening the standards that determine how projects are designed and built.
The Case for Storage: Reliability, Affordability and Jobs
In a recent Newsday commentary, Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties President Matthew Aracich laid out the economic and reliability case for building more storage on Long Island.
“Energy storage is critical infrastructure – which in turn means jobs and investment,” Aracich wrote.
Storage can also make better use of the grid infrastructure New York already has, storing electricity when it is plentiful and returning it to the grid when demand – and prices – rise.
Where We Need to Go
- Increase tax incentives for utility-scale energy storage systems.
- Lift local moratoriums that are preventing projects from moving forward across New York.
- Provide technical assistance and planning support for communities considering energy storage projects.
- Identify and develop unused city-owned land in New York City for neighborhood-scale energy storage to protect communities from blackouts and reduce pollution from dirty peaker plants.
- Update New York City’s codes to allow for residential solar + storage.
Transmission
Why Transmission
Transmission lines are essentially high-capacity highways for electricity. By providing both energy delivery and grid modernization, projects like CHPE, Smart Path Connect, and Propel NY Energy are essential for transporting clean energy from where it is generated to the communities where it is needed most.
And that need is only growing. New York’s electricity demand is projected to increase significantly over the next two decades. Meeting that demand means not only building new renewable energy capacity, but ensuring our transmission system can keep up.
Projects like these are critical to getting off the expensive roller coaster ride of fossil fuels and providing the stable and affordable clean energy future New Yorkers deserve.
Where We Are
Smart Path Connect – Operational
- Developed by the New York Power Authority and National Grid, Smart Path Connect is a 100-mile project to modernize transmission infrastructure across the North Country and Mohawk Valley – unlocking up to one gigawatt of additional renewable energy.
- The project is expected to provide approximately $438 million in benefits annually to New Yorkers by reducing transmission congestion and improving the efficiency and reliability of the grid.
Champlain Hudson Power Express – Operational
- The 339-mile, 1,250-megawatt transmission line carries clean hydropower from Canada underground and underwater to the Astoria Energy Complex in Queens, where it enters New York City’s electric grid.
- CHPE is expected to deliver 10.4 terawatt-hours of clean energy annually – enough to meet up to 20% of New York City’s electricity needs – while reducing carbon emissions by an estimated 37 million metric tons through 2040.
- The project is also expected to generate more than $3.4 billion in economic investment over its 25-year contract.
Propel NY Energy – Moving Toward Construction
- Last week brought another major transmission milestone.
- On September 17, the New York State Public Service Commission granted Propel NY Energy its Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need – a key approval allowing the project to move forward toward construction.
- Led by NYPA and New York Transco, Propel will build approximately 90 miles of new underground transmission lines across Long Island, New York City, and Westchester County, and strengthen connections with the rest of the state and improving the reliability and resiliency of the downstate grid.
Where We Need to Go
- Continue upgrading transmission lines and substations across the state
- Build the capacity needed to prevent bottlenecks and power curtailment
- Continue implementing the RAPID Act to streamline permitting
- Ensure that transmission planning keeps pace with growing electricity demand
Wind, solar, and storage must go hand-in-hand with the poles and wires that deliver those clean resources to our homes and businesses – because there is no clean energy transition without transmission.
A Final Word on Planning
If we’re serious about delivering affordable, reliable clean energy, we have to build the grid that makes it possible. But that requires not only adding more new solar panels or wind turbines. It requires thoughtfully and proactively planning the electric grid – with coordination among utilities, power authorities, and state agencies – so we can connect new energy sources, meet growing demand, improve reliability, and keep costs stable and manageable. Importantly, this work needs to happen at a pace that reflects the urgency of climate change.
Ultimately, energy policy is about people. It’s about families being able to afford their energy bills and about kids breathing cleaner air. It’s about making our communities – and the power they rely on – more resilient.
We know that passing laws alone won’t get us there. The next chapter of New York’s environmental leadership must be about execution and delivering tangible results for New Yorkers.