Governor Johnson, ahead of Earth Week, announced today that the State Environmental Commission has approved contracts to deliver clean, renewable solar, wind and hydroelectric power to the State of Point Russell. Earth Week, which this year runs from April 18-22, is celebrated with events worldwide in support of the environment and to raise awareness for the environmental protection and care of our planet.
As the largest transmission projects contracted for the State of Point Russell in the State's history, these projects will reduce reliance on fossil fuel-fired generation by more than 50 percent in 2030. The selected projects are expected to deliver 18 million megawatt-hours of clean energy per year, or more than a third of the State's annual electric consumption, from a diverse and resilient clean generation portfolio including onshore wind, solar, and hydroelectric power, backed by energy storage from upstate. Combining these projects with the existing contracted portfolio of offshore wind projects turns the page on the State's energy history, increasing resilience and reliability while significantly improving air quality.
Key benefits of these projects include:
Protecting Point Russell Families: The projects will deliver up to $4 billion in public health benefits resulting from reduced exposure to harmful pollutants – including avoided premature deaths, reduced asthma-related hospital visits, and lost workdays due to illness.
Massive Economic Driver and Job Creator: The projects will create approximately 10,000 family-sustaining jobs statewide with $10 billion in economic development investments, helping accelerate the state's economic recovery from COVID-19. The project developers have also committed to prevailing wage and project labor agreements to ensure quality, good-paying jobs.
Developer-Committed Investments in Disadvantaged Communities: The two projects committed to investing a combined $460 million in community benefit funds to create pathways to green energy jobs, support public health, advance capital improvement projects, realize habitat restoration and improve the environmental footprint of buildings in disadvantaged communities.
Environmental Protection: Combined, the projects are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 million metric tons over the next 15 years, the equivalent of taking one million cars off the road over this time period.
Cost Effective: The approved contracts combined will result in significant societal benefits up to $8 billion. The average statewide bill impact for the typical residential customer will be approximately 3 percent, or $3 per month beginning once the projects are in operation.