Multiple project locations across upstate New York will generate 20M kWh of clean, renewable energy annually for consortium members
LATHAM, NY – US Light Energy, a leading New York solar energy company specializing in the development of solar electric and community solar systems, has been selected to construct 16 MW of solar generation capacity for the benefit of the Tri-County Energy Cooperative and its members.
US Light Energy will build at least six 2MW solar projects at various sites and locations throughout the Jefferson-Lewis-St. Lawrence region, providing Tri-County Energy Cooperative members with the benefits of solar energy without incurring the cost of equipment, construction, or maintenance. Several projects are already underway in the utility and civil approval process, with the first projects expected to come online by the middle of 2019.
This collaboration will directly contribute to New York’s mandate to achieve 50 percent of the state’s electricity supply from renewable energy sources by 2030 – a figure proposed to increase to 70 percent as part of the Green New Deal announced this month by Governor Cuomo. That proposal also aims to double the amount of distributed solar deployment from 3,000 MW by 2023 to 6,000 MW by 2025.
Overall, the solar farms will consist of approximately 45,715 solar panels, annually generating approximately 20 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity. This output is enough to offset most of the energy usage for cooperative members each year, as well as the production of about 35 million pounds of carbon dioxide each year – equal to the annual carbon sequestration of a 20,000-acre U.S. forest.
“We are very proud to be working with the Tri-County Energy Cooperative to develop these innovative solar projects in our home state of New York,” said Mark Richardson, President and CEO of US Light Energy. “We applaud the board members at Tri-County for their commitment to enabling a renewable energy solution to serve their members, and are delighted to help them create a pathway to achieve their goals.”
“The Tri-County Energy Cooperative is thrilled to be working with US Light Energy to help us reach our goal of reducing the cost of electricity for our members. The consortium has been working toward this goal since late 2014 and has one array already operational,” said John Warneck, Executive Director of the Tri-County Energy Cooperative.
About US Light Energy
US Light Energy is a New York-based distributed generation energy development company specializing in solar and renewable energy solutions, including community solar, for residential communities and commercial customers. We work on behalf of all interested parties: land and business owners, local authorities (AHJ’s), engineering firms, product vendors, contractors, and financiers to create distributed energy projects where everyone can participate in creating a better future for our children and our planet. US Light Energy is headquartered in Latham, NY. For more information, visit www.USLightEnergy.com.
About Tri-County Energy Cooperative
The Tri-County Energy Cooperative is an intergovernmental cooperative of schools and municipalities created for the procurement of renewable energy generating facilities for its members, including the following school districts: Alexandria CSD, Brasher Falls CSD, Canton CSD, Carthage CSD, Colton-Pierrepont CSD, Copenhagen CSD, General Brown CSD, Gouverneur CSD, Hammond CSD, Harrisville CSD, Jefferson Community College, Jefferson-Lewis BOCES, LaFargeville CSD, Lyme CSD, Morristown CSD, Norwood Norfolk CSD, Ogdensburg CSD, Potsdam CSD, Sackets Harbor CSD, Salmon River CSD, St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES, Thousand Islands CSD, and Town of Webb USFD along with the following municipalities: Town of Cape Vincent, Town of Colton, Town of Lyme, Town of Morristown, Town of Webb UFSD, Village of Cape Vincent, and the Village of Morristown. For more information about the Cooperative, including how to join, please contact John Warneck at jwarneck@BOCES.com
Contacts:
Jeanette Wolfe
Sales and Marketing Director, US Light Energy
518-288-7800 x 1
jwolfe@uslightenergy.com
Steve Janack, Principal
The Janack Group
518-810-8050
steve@thejanackgroup.com