LIPA’s Board Approves PPA For 36-Megawatt Solar Farm

The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) Board of Trustees on Sept. 22 approved a new power purchase agreement (PPA) for a 36-megawatt (MW) solar farm in Calverton, New York.

Once complete, this project will be the largest solar project on Long Island and among the largest throughout the state.

In 2015, LIPA and its service provider, PSEG Long Island, issued a request for proposals for new, renewable capacity and energy to expand LIPA’s portfolio of renewable energy resources.

In 2017, LIPA selected two solar farms for development — the 22.9 MW Riverhead Solar 1 with LI Solar Generation, LLC, which is currently under construction, and the 36 MW solar facility, which will be developed by a limited liability company owned by the AES Corporation and the Alberta Investment Management Company. 

Riverhead Solar 2 will be adjacent to the existing Riverhead Solar 1 facility in Calverton. Both projects will be interconnected with the LIPA Edwards Avenue Substation. Since the project is larger than 25 MW, it underwent an extensive environmental review before approval by the LIPA Board and has met all applicable requirements.

LIPA will purchase all the capacity, energy, and renewable attributes produced by the project for 20 years and the commercial operation date is planned for June 1, 2023. The contract includes an option for LIPA to extend the term for an additional 10 years at a discounted price.

“Riverhead Solar 2 demonstrates the LIPA Board’s commitment to clean energy for Long Island and the Rockaways,” said LIPA CEO Tom Falcone in a statement. “Over the next five years, thousands of megawatts of new, clean energy projects will be connected to our local electric grid.”