“…The SolarCity project is the centerpiece of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s Buffalo Billion program. The state is laying the groundwork for a new industry, spending $750 million to build the factory and purchase equipment. The governor has made clear his commitment to reviving the economy in Buffalo and Western New York, and this project most convincingly represents his good intentions with an industry looking to the future…"

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="602"] Extending the state's renewable energy program could lead to more projects like Steel Winds in Lackawanna. (Derek Gee/Buffalo News)[/caption]

This region is in the difficult process of remaking itself from its smokestack past into a green energy hub with thousands of eagerly anticipated jobs in a growing industry.

That makeover is just one reason to support efforts by the state’s energy research authority to dedicate $1.5 billion over the next 10 years to push further development in renewable energy projects and extend the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard program that began in 2004.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority also wants to tweak the program to make it more efficient. The end result would be an increase in renewable generating capacity “by reducing project costs and trimming the cost of financing those developments.”

The state Public Service Commission must review the proposals. A nod from the PSC would mean an economic boost to large-scale renewable energy projects, including wind farms, big solar arrays and other types of clean energy technologies.

The program would create several hundred jobs across the state and significantly reduce harmful carbon dioxide emissions.

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Posted June 12, 2015 - 12:01 AM