Governor Andrew M. Cuomo from New York has signed the FY 2021 Enacted Budget which includes the Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act. The Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act will speed up the permitting and construction of renewable energy projects, combat climate change and grow the state's green economy.
The State will also accelerate renewable transmission delivery. The Act will create a new Office of Renewable Energy Permitting to improve and streamline the process for environmentally responsible and cost-effective siting of large-scale renewable energy projects across New York while delivering benefits to local communities. "Build Ready" sites will be pre-approved, permitted and auctioned to developers to prioritise the re-use of abandoned commercial sites, brownfields, landfills, former industrial sites, and otherwise underutilised sites. These actions will accelerate progress towards Governor Cuomo's clean energy and climate goals - including the mandate to obtain 70% of the state's electricity from renewable sources - as identified under the state's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.