New solar energy project commissioned on site of former Kings Park landfill
NextEra Energy Resources, LIPA and PSEG Long Island celebrate commissioning of 6 megawatt solar energy center
Kings Park, NY (June 20, 2019) – NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, along with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) and PSEG Long Island, today celebrated the commissioning of the Kings Park Solar Project on the site of a former landfill.
“We are pleased to bring new life to this site, which once collected generations of waste and is now generating clean, renewable energy for the benefit of Long Island,” said Ross Groffman, vice president of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and the sun.
The 6-megawatt facility is owned and operated by a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources and will provide renewable energy to LIPA customers under a 20-year power purchase agreement. The project features more than 18,000 photovoltaic solar panels covering the site of the former Kings Park landfill, which closed in 1979.
“NextEra’s Kings Park Solar Project allows Long Island to take a step away from fossil fuels, while redeveloping a former landfill into part of the clean electric grid of the future,” said Tom Falcone, LIPA CEO. “This unique project enables our service provider, PSEG Long Island, to continue to provide clean and reliable power to our customers.”
The Kings Park Solar Project began operations in December 2018. It creates no emissions to generate electricity, effectively avoiding the use of approximately 4,500 metric tons per year of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of removing more than 800 cars from the road.
“This project is a testament to Long Island’s growing focus on generating clean energy, and is proof that we can benefit both the environment and the local economy,” said Paul Napoli, vice president of Power Markets for PSEG Long Island, which manages electric transmission and distribution for LIPA. “PSEG Long Island commends NextEra Energy Resources for its innovation and its steadfast mission to provide state-of-the-art solar projects for our region.”
“New York is poised to pass the most aggressive legislation in the nation to fight climate change. To make the legislation a reality, we need on the ground local renewable projects such as the King Park Solar Project. Passing a law is important but building renewable projects is the catalyst transitioning New York towards a clean energy economy. Thank you to NextEra Energy Resources, LIPA and PSEG for their commitment to clean energy on Long Island,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
The project was originally developed by BQ Energy and an affiliate of RECOM, one of Europe’s largest photovoltaic solar module manufacturers. The panels featured at the Kings Park Solar Project were manufactured at RECOM’s French facility.
“We are truly happy to see this project come to fruition and serve the community,” said Hamlet Tunyan, CEO of RECOM. “We look forward to similar joint efforts with our partners in the future as we expand our presence in the U.S. and contribute to the spread of renewable energy.”
Construction of the project began in November 2017, creating approximately 50 jobs, employing mainly local labor. The project will create an ongoing economic benefit for the region, including an estimated $800,000 in additional revenue for Smithtown over its first 20 years in operations.
“We are excited about this project,” said Gordian Raacke, executive director of Renewable Energy Long Island. “It will help us meet our state’s ambitious renewable energy goals, protect our environment and bring economic growth to the area. It is a great model for our future on Long Island.”
About NextEra Energy Resources
NextEra Energy Resources, LLC (together with its affiliated entities, “NextEra Energy Resources”), is a clean energy leader and is one of the largest wholesale generators of electric power in the U.S., with approximately 21,000 megawatts of net generating capacity, primarily in 36 states and Canada as of year-end 2018. NextEra Energy Resources, together with its affiliated entities, is the world’s largest operator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. The business operates clean, emissions-free nuclear power generation facilities in New Hampshire, Iowa and Wisconsin as part of the NextEra Energy nuclear fleet, which is one of the largest in the United States. NextEra Energy Resources, LLC is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE). For more information, visit www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.
PSEG Long Island
PSEG Long Island operates the Long Island Power Authority’s transmission and distribution system under a long-term contract. PSEG Long Island is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a publicly traded diversified energy company.
Long Island Power Authority
The Long Island Power Authority was created by an Act of the New York State Legislature in 1986 and acquired the electric transmission and distribution system of the Long Island Lighting Company on May 28, 1998, immediately lowering electric rates for customer-owners by more than 20 percent.
As result of the LIPA Reform Act of 2013, the Authority utilizes a public-private partnership business model and contracts with PSEG Long Island, a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated, one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, to operate LIPA’s electric system under a 12-year contract. LIPA’s public-private business model continues to deliver the advantages of public power to customers, including LIPA’s not-for-profit status, access to low-cost financing, and dedication to Long Island and the Rockaways. For more information, visit www.lipower.org.
