By Kari Williamson

The funds, which are supported by the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), will be awarded competitively through a solicitation for electric generation projects using wind, hydrpower, biomass or other renewable energy resources. Awards are expected to be announced in mid-December.

So far under the RPS program, NYSERDA has awarded funding to 51 large-scale renewable electricity generators that are expected to produce enough electricity to provide 5.3 TWh of renewable energy annually. The projects include three biomass facilities, 8 landfill biogas operations, 23 hydropower upgrades, and 17 wind farms.

It is estimated that the projects currently in the programme could deliver over US$2.1 billion in direct economic benefits over the next 20 years to New York.