LS Power subsidiary Rise Light & Power (Rise) has outlined plans for the US’s first renewable repowering of a major fossil-fuel plant with clean power from offshore wind.
By securing an ownership stake in an unnamed offshore wind project, Rise will be a part of an offshore wind proposal to be submitted to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on Thursday, January 26.
The project takes advantage of, and will utilise, existing energy infrastructure at Rise’s Long Island City’s Ravenswood Generating Station-New York City’s largest power generator.
In late 2022, Rise submitted an Article VII application requesting that the New York State Public Service Commission approve a submarine electric system – the Queensboro Renewable Express – to deliver offshore wind energy over transmission in New York State to Ravenswood.
This project, combined with the ownership stake in an offshore wind project, builds on that application by extending into Federal waters and connecting one of the two Queensboro Renewable Express 1,310MW circuits to an offshore wind farm.
This would lead directly to the retirement of one of the plant’s 1960s era fossil fuel generators.
This retirement is in addition to already retiring 500MW of peakers at Ravenswood.
Additionally, the project will establish an offshore wind operations and maintenance hub at Ravenswood, which will support the opportunity for a just transition of the existing fossil fuel workforce as well as drive substantial economic investment into a historically underserved community.
The project would bring an HVDC conductor cable onshore at the existing Ravenswood site where it would interconnect via underground HVAC cables to the NYISO bulk electric system at existing substations adjacent to Ravenswood.
The project has strong community support for its goal to transition Ravenswood into a clean energy hub with a mature and cost-effective interconnection of renewable offshore wind energy into New York City, Rise said.
Chief executive of Rise Light & Power Clint Plummer said: “The renewable repowering of Ravenswood will serve as a model of how to work with communities and repurpose transmission infrastructure to save ratepayers money.
“The repowering of Ravenswood with offshore wind is a community-driven approach to invest in a disadvantaged community and support New York in meeting its clean energy and economic goals.
“Importantly, the project commits to the just transition and upskilling of the Local 1-2 UWUA union workers at Ravenswood through training programs and job opportunities associated with the project.”