New York’s Landmark Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act Demonstrates to the Nation how to Confront a Rapidly Changing Climate

EDF Renewables North America today announced the start of construction on three community solar projects which will deliver 16.4 megawatts (MW) of clean energy to National Grid customers in central New York. This marks the first phase of a 50 MW Community Solar project portfolio consisting of eight projects in the towns of Vernon, Verona, Oswegatchie, Frankfort and Rosendale.

National Grid customers who enroll in the community solar program are eligible to receive clean renewable energy at a guaranteed discount over the standard electricity costs. This comes at a time when New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) empowers every citizen in the State to fight climate change.

The ambitious plan sets New York State goals of 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040 and reduced emissions by at least 85% below 1990 levels by 2050. EDF Renewables’ 50 MW portfolio of projects will produce enough clean electricity to power 8,200 average New York homes¹. This is equivalent to avoiding 40,000 metric tons of CO₂ annually or removing 9,000 cars from the road.

“EDF Renewables is excited to bring clean renewable energy to New York and appreciates the collaboration of the communities in which we work to help us build Community Solar projects that support New York climate goals,” said Margaret Campbell, Senior Business Development Manager at EDF Renewables. “Now that New York Governor Kathy Hochul has expanded goals for the installation of distributed solar from 6 gigawatts (GW) to at least 10 GW by 2030, EDF Renewables is similarly expanding our efforts to bring clean renewable distributed solar projects to help power New York.”

The Climate Act will transform how every New Yorker generates and uses electricity; the way they heat their homes, and how they commute to work and school. It further brings with it numerous benefits to communities and diversifies revenue sources for participating landowners thus creating stability for generations.

EDF Renewables North America is a market leading independent power producer and service provider with 35 years of expertise in renewable energy. The Company delivers grid-scale power: wind (onshore and offshore), solar photovoltaic, and storage projects; distribution-scale power: solar and storage; asset optimization: technical, operational, and commercial expertise to maximize performance of generating projects, and onsite solutions, through the Company’s PowerFlex subsidiary, offering a full suite of onsite energy solutions for commercial and industrial customers: solar, storage, EV charging, energy management systems, and microgrids. EDF Renewables’ North American portfolio consists of 20 GW of developed projects and 13 GW under service contracts. EDF Renewables North America is a subsidiary of EDF Renewables, the dedicated renewable energy affiliate of the EDF Group. For more information visit: www.edf-re.com. Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

¹ According to U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2019 Residential Electricity Sales and U.S. Census Data and typical transmission assumptions.

² According to U.S. EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies calculations and typical transmission assumptions.

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