IEEE PES T&D Conference & Exposition 2022 - 75

F
FEW STATES IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE DEMONstrated
leadership as visionary as New York to ensure the
transition to renewables and electrification. Through policy
initiatives, the state has been ensuring the advancement of
the electric grid for years. In 2014, New York's Reforming
the Energy Vision policy initiatives focused on creating a
more energy-efficient and resilient grid while embracing
new energy technologies in the state. In addition to emphasizing
the importance of distributed energy resources DERs
and smart grid technology, this effort, and recent decarbonization
policies have laid the foundation for future initiatives
focused on grid-scale renewables. This article demonstrates
how Central Hudson is implementing technology on their
system to increase the rate of renewables integration while
avoiding challenges with traditional solutions.
In 2019, New York signed into law the Climate Leadership
and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). This act set
aggressive goals to address climate change and reach netzero
emissions in the state. Along with critical stipulations to
ensure disadvantaged communities benefit from the program
and the newly created Climate Justice Working Group, the
act placed emissions targets to accelerate the state toward netzero.
While all the targets are aggressive, the push to have
70% of electricity generated from renewable sources by 2030
is likely the most challenging target due to its relatively nearterm
timeframe. The CLCPA targets culminate in an 85%
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Figure 1 provides
the remaining CLCPA targets.
New York State then proceeded to pass the Accelerated
Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act in
2020, which further progressed the state's clean energy and
climate goals. This act established several programs aimed
at moving forward renewable integration in the state. One
of these programs was the State Power Grid and Study
Program to accelerate the planning process for building
transmission and distribution infrastructure throughout
the state. This study identified many projects in both the
near-term and medium-term that would be needed to reach
CLCPA targets. Several of these projects incorporate grid
enhancing technologies (GETs), solutions that accelerate
renewable electricity integration by maximizing the grid's
transfer capacity.
Regulators, the New York Independent System Operator
(NYISO), and utilities in New York have envisioned a future
grid reliant on GETs. In the first steps toward that realization,
several utilities in New York are implementing GETs
to address grid challenges and are gaining assurance in the
reliability and performance of these technologies.
Central Hudson Gas and Electric was formed in 1911
to provide gas and electricity in New York's Mid-Hudson
River Valley. Today, Central Hudson serves over
300,000 electric customers throughout their service territory
extending from the suburbs of metropolitan New
York City north to the Capital District at Albany. Figure 2
shows how renewable generation across the state's northern
border flows toward New York City in the south. By
boosting the transfer capacity of underutilized lines, Central
Hudson plays a key role in relieving congestion along
Central Hudson
Service Area
figure 2. Central Hudson Service Area and simplified
New York electric transmission grid.
70% of Electricity Provided
by Renewable Energy and
3,000 MW of Energy Storage
100% Zero
Emission
Electricity
2030
2025
6,000 MW of Solar and
185 tBtu Reduction
Through Energy Efficiency
figure 1. NY CLCPA Climate Targets.
April 2022 Show Issue
ieee power & energy magazine
75
2035
9,000 MW of
Offshore Wind
2040
2050
85% Reduction in
GHG Emissions
IEEE PES T&D Conference & Exposition 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE PES T&D Conference & Exposition 2022
