The New York State Public Service Commission (NY PSC) has approved the construction of Consolidated Edison Company of New York (Con Edison)’s proposed $1.2bn Reliable Clean City – Idlewild Project.
To be built in Queens, New York State, the Idlewild project will create two new substations and a new electric network in Springfield. It will help to meet the growth in customer electricity consumption in Queens apart from facilitating and providing clean energy to houses, businesses, and important transportation hubs.
Besides, the Reliable Clean City – Idlewild Project can be utilised to develop new points of interconnection for energy storage and clean energy projects in the future as well as to avoid future reliability concerns arising from load growth, said the PSC.
NY PSC Chair Rory Christian said: “With today’s decision, Con Edison will be making infrastructure investments that are designed to promote the transition to a clean-energy economy while ensuring the reliability of the electric grid overall.
“Our action today is a win-win for the company’s customers and the environment.”
Based on Con Edison’s load estimate and the design criteria for station planning in the Jamaica distribution area, the 27kV substation is projected to surpass its designated 492MW design capacity by 6MW as soon as 2026.
The company plans to address the load growth by dividing the Jamaica network into two separate networks namely, a scaled down Jamaica Network, and a new Springfield Network.
Con Edison will also build the new Eastern Queens transmission substation and Idlewild distribution area substation to supply the Springfield network and transfer 170MW of load from the Jamaica network distribution area substation to the Idlewild distribution area substation.
Con Edison chairman and chief executive Tim Cawley said: “As we work towards New York’s clean energy goals, we must think more boldly about ways to serve increased demand for electricity while maintaining a reliable grid as customers transition away from fossil fuels.
“By investing in our Reliable Clean City – Idlewild project, we are building New York’s clean energy infrastructure while creating good jobs, advancing New York’s climate goals, and ensuring that our grid remains reliable for customers in Southeast Queens for decades to come.”
The Reliable Clean City – Idlewild Project is subject to local permits.
