Cooperative to Partner with SUNY on Solar and Battery Storage Project

Delaware County Electric Cooperative (DCEC), the State University of New York (SUNY) and the New York Power Authority (NYPA) have announced a new project to build a solar and energy storage system that will provide clean, local power to the State University of New York at Delhi campus and the local community. This project is part of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision strategy to create a cleaner, more resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers.

The system will consist of approximately 2 MW of ground-mounted, storage-paired solar power constructed on 18 acres of property adjacent to a DCEC substation, allowing the array to tie directly into the existing power distribution network. The battery will also be in this location. During design, NYPA will analyze all potential use cases for the battery, including demand response, peak shaving, and/or resiliency services.

Developing the solar plus storage system will make DCEC a first-mover among municipalities and power cooperatives. The system may serve as a replicable model for rural cooperatives across New York State.  DCEC, SUNY and NYPA also intend to reach out to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association to share lessons from the project with rural cooperatives across the country.