New York City's largest fossil fuel plant will now be replaced with offshore wind power, as reported by Electrek.
The Ravenswood Generating Station, which powers 20 percent of the city is a 2,480-megawatt power plant in Long Island City, Queens just across Roosevelt Island.
Rise Light and Power is set to submit a proposal to the New York State Energy research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in response to the state's offshore wind solicitation.
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How It Works
The site, which sits on 27-acre of land will be converted into a clean energy hub to power one-with of New York City with offshore wind power. Ravenswood offshore wind project will reuse existing physical and electrical infrastructure, which will save money for New York ratepayers.
There will be an HVDC conductor cable that will be brought onshore at the existing power plant site, which will interconnect via underground HVAC cables to the NYISO bulk electric system at existing substations adjacent to the site.
The site will also turn into an offshore wind operations and maintenance hub that will support the transition of the existing fossil fuel plant workforce and drive economic investment into underserved community.
The project will produce training programs and job opportunities for the transition and up skill of current Local 1-2 UWUA union workers.
The project would speed up the state's climate goals. With the repowering of the Ravenswood Generation Station, it can serve as a model for the US as the state takes steps to eliminate their dependency on fossil fuels.
By eliminating fossil fuels, this will improve air quality in Western Queens.
It can be recalled that in late 2022, Rise submitted an Article VII application with the request the New York State Public Service Commission approve a sub-marine electric system, the Queensboro Renewable Express, to provide offshore wind energy over transmission in New York State to Ravenswood.
This project, paired with the ownership stake in an offshore wind project will build on that application by extending into Federal waters and connecting one Queensboro Renewable Express 1,310 MW circuits to an offshore wind farm. As a result, this will retire one of the plant's fossil fuel generators that reigned in the 1960s. The retirement will also add to the 500 MW of speakers at Ravenswood that is already in the process of retirement.
The proposal is getting a lot or praises from leading community, environmental justice, labor, business, and institutions across the city and state.
According to Nydia Velásquez, a US Congresswoman, "America's first renewable repowering of a fossil-fuel burning plant can happen right here in Long Island City, Queens, home to the city's largest power generating facility. This project would greatly advance our state's climate goals and be a win for environmental justice communities living nearby.
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