Since a large part of New York’s renewable energy comes from onshore and offshore wind power, it is not as easy to find large-scale solar projects in the state. To make it easier for you, we compiled a list of the currently largest solar projects in New York.
1) Three projects totalling 940MW in Herkimer, Niagara and St Lawrence County
Three large-scale projects which all deserve to be on our list are the following, which are all owned by EDF Renewables North America. The Columbia solar park takes up 2,000 acres in Herkimer County and has a generating capacity of 350MW. Another PV farm of 350 MW is the Ridge View complex. The developer plans to install the PV farm in Niagara County. The third project of this 940MW cluster is the 240MW Rich Road solar plant which will be built in St Lawrence County. The three solar projects are planned to become operational by the end of 2025. They will supply electricity for more than 243,000 New York households when the solar farms are operating at full capacity.
Location: Herkimer County, Niagara County, St Lawrence County
Developer/Owner: EDF Renewables North America
2) 500MW Cider Solar Farm in Elba and Oakfield
The 500MW Cider Solar Farm is the largest PV solar project in New York history. Once operational, the PV solar park will have the capacity to supply 920,000 MW-hours of electricity per year – enough to cover consumption of over 120,000 New York households. It will be located in the towns of Elba and Oakfield. Chicago-based developer Hecate Energy started constructing the farm in 2023.
Location: Elba and Oakfield, New York
Developer/Owner: Hecate Energy
3) 216MW Yellow Barn Solar PV park in Tompkins County
At 216MW and an estimated cost of over 200 million dollar, the Yellow Barn Solar PV park will take up 850 acres of land. It will be located between the towns of Groton and Lansing in Tompkins County. The park will be one of the largest solar installations ever constructed in New York State and will be developed in one single phase. Construction of the project is expected to start in 2025, with the project becoming operational in 2026. The current project developer and owner is New York-based Yellow Barn Solar LLC, a subsidiary of New Jersey-based developer CS Energy.
Location: between Groton and Lansing, Tompkins County
Developer/Owner: CS Energy
Image: Chelsea via Unsplash (08.07.2023
