Dive Brief:
- The New York Power Authority and New York State Electric & Gas have completed a a $120 million transmission project which aims to move 440 MW of upstate renewable power to meet energy demand in more-populated downstate regions without having to build new power lines, Greentech Media reports.
- The Marcy South Series Compensation Project is a "cornerstone" of the state's Reforming the Energy Vision strategy, NYPA said, which aims to create a more flexible grid while reaching a 50% renewable goal by 2030.
- Three capacitor banks were installed to offer the grid greater control of power movement. These are the first series capacitors installed in New York; the advanced banks raise voltage and keep it at a constant level, which enhances transmission efficiency. Two capacitor banks were installed by NYPA, the other by NYSEG.
Dive Insight:
New York's REV process continues to focus on innovative solutions that can avoid the need for infrastructure additions, and the Marcy South project is a perfect example—moving significant volumes of clean power across the state, without having to site and construct new power lines.
“We cannot overstate the value of the technology that we’re installing to bolster the reliability and flexibility of New York State’s transmission system,” NYPA President and CEO Gil Quiniones said in an announcement. "These improvements will allow inexpensive, clean power to travel the state’s energy highway more efficiently and make the power grid more robust.”
The project is also part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's push to upgrade the state's so-called energy highways. Though the initiative was announced before REV, it's nonetheless become a part of the proceeding to overhaul the utility's business model.
The project is estimated to increase power flow on parallel 345 kV transmission lines by as much as 440 MW, with the capacitors giving grid operators greater awareness of transmission conditions so power can be dispatched more effectively.
NYPA produced a video to highlight the project, which explains that downstate areas consume more than half of New York's power, but lack access up upstate renewable centers "due to transmission capacity limits."
NYPA and NYSEG installed three capacitor banks, roughly 30 feet wide, 60 feet long and two stories high, helping to raise voltage and keep it at a constant level. NYSEG plans to transfer its $61 million portion of project to New York Transco, a public-private partnership of investor-owned utilities in New York, at a future date. NYPA spent $59 million on its end of the project.
NYSEG CO Mark Lunch said the project "illustrates how utilities working together can deliver benefits to both the upstate and downstate regions and, at the same time, minimize visual and land-use impacts to the fullest extent possible.”
All three series capacitors will be located at the NYSEG Fraser substation in Delhi, Delaware County. NYPA’s capacitor banks will support 135 miles of lines that run from Oneida County to Sullivan County, an area the grid has identified as a bottleneck that impedes power flow to high-demand areas like New York City, Long Island and Westchester County.
The Marcy South Series Compensation Project kicked off late last year and also involved replacing about 22 miles of conductors and upgrading some structures on NYSEG’s portion of the Marcy South transmission line.
