Invenergy receives approval for PPA for largest solar project in Greater Manhattan Area

Invenergy LLC, North America's largest independent renewable power generation company, last week received a unanimous approval from the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) for a power purchase agreement (PPA) for its proposed 24.9 MW Shoreham Solar Commons facility in the town of Brookhaven in Long Island, New York.

The facility, which will be the second-largest solar array east of the Mississippi, is expected to generate enough power to supply 3,500 homes.

Earlier this year, the Citizen’s Campaign for the Environment and the New York League of Conservation Voters expressed support for this project due to the many environmental benefits associated with its development. Invenergy plans to build Shoreham Solar Commons on Brookhaven’s former Tallgrass Golf Course, which requires no cutting of trees. In fact, Invenergy plans to plant an additional 1,500 trees on the project’s site.

The project will also eliminate the use of pesticides and fertilizers on the course, which will directly benefit the Long Island aquifer, the sole source of the area’s fresh water. The estimated energy generation from this facility will displace 29,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

Kevin Parzyck, Invenergy’s Vice President of Development, said: 

“LIPA’s unanimous approval of the power purchase agreement is a huge milestone for this project, which will be the largest of its kind in such close proximity to Manhattan. With the development of Shoreham Solar Commons, Invenergy aims to solve the energy challenges that face the greater New York City area, the largest, most densely populated city in the nation.”

During construction, Shoreham Solar Commons will create 175 local jobs. The facility is expected to generate between $700,000 and $900,000 in annual tax revenue, up to ten times what the Tall Grass Golf Course currently generates.