N.Y. to Issue RFI for Potential Energy Projects, Including Generation

New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's Energy Highway Task Force yesterday said that it expects to issue a Request for Information (RFI) on April 11, seeking ideas for potential energy projects from private developers, investor-owned utilities, the financial community and others.

A conference for potential responders and other interested parties will be held on April 19.

Following its review of the responses to the RFI, the task force will issue an Energy Highway Action Plan in the summer of 2012 with recommendations for moving forward. The action plan will be available to the public.

According to a press release, "The goal of the Energy Highway is to ensure that a cost-efficient, reliable and environmentally sustainable supply of power is available to fuel the state’s economic growth and to meet the needs of its residents. A key element calls for proposals to modernize existing transmission lines to improve the efficiency of grid operation and also to build new transmission lines in existing right-of-ways to carry excess power from upstate sources to the downstate area, where demand for electricity is greatest. The plan also envisions the repowering of existing power plants to make them more efficient and combat air pollution in urban areas. In addition, it provides for the potential construction of new plants, particularly those powered by the wind, the sun and other renewable sources." [emphasis added]

The task force is charged with overseeing implementation of the Energy Highway initiative and enlist the private sector in a wide-ranging effort to upgrade and modernize the state’s electric system.

The Energy Highway is envisioned as at least a $2 billion private sector initiative to encourage job creation and capital investment in the state’s electric system by private companies in partnership with New York State.

Task force members include:

Gil C. Quiniones, President and Chief Executive Officer, New York Power Authority (Co-Chair)

Joseph Martens, Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (Co-Chair)

Kenneth Adams, President & CEO and Commissioner, Empire State Development

Garry A. Brown, Chairman, New York State Public Service Commission

Francis J. Murray, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority