NY: National Grid introduces large-scale fossil-free energy hub model

National Grid, an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company, has introduced its Northeast Clean Energy Vision, a model to develop and deliver a large-scale, clean and fossil-free energy hub across the entirety of Long Island in New York State.

The company unveiled its clean energy vision at Climate Week NYC 2022, a global climate event taking place in New York from 19 to 25 September.

The Long Island clean energy hub outlined in the vision will contain four key components working together:

• Developing more clean and carbon-free energy from offshore wind and solar sources;
• Using renewables to create clean hydrogen to fuel power plants and heat homes;
• Bringing more battery storage online to store wind and solar energy for later use; and
• Modernizing and expanding transmission networks to deliver more clean and carbon-free energy to customers and communities.

The vision builds on the company’s recently-announced fossil-free plan to eliminate fossil fuels from its gas and electric systems by 2050.

“We believe that innovative regional hubs where clean energy solutions – wind, solar, hydrogen, storage and ways to deliver it – all interconnect will deliver the clean energy customers and communities expect and deserve while drastically reducing emissions in the Northeast”, said William Hazelip, president of National Grid Ventures (NGV), US Northeast.

“The work is underway to get the right infrastructure in place both on Long Island, which is our initial focus, and throughout the region. Our Northeast Clean Energy Vision is about accelerating the transition to a fossil-free tomorrow affordably, safely, reliably and efficiently.”

National Grid is also developing offshore wind infrastructure in the New York Bight with the potential to host 3 GW of capacity, through its joint venture with RWE Renewables called Community Offshore Wind.

In parallel, the company is exploring how it can leverage its Long Island power generation plants to deploy new and emerging technologies from energy storage to zero carbon generation like clean hydrogen.