NYPA Authorizes $52 Million For Final Phase of Multi-Million-Dollar Project to Improve Digital Communication Infrastructure

For Immediate Release: January 21, 2020

Contact: NYPA Media Relations | 914-681-6770 | media.inquiries@nypa.gov

 

Communications Backbone Will Bolster Reliability and Efficiency of the
New York State Energy Grid

 

Supports Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s State-of-the-State
Grid Modernization Proposal

 

WHITE PLAINS—The New York Power Authority (NYPA) Board of Trustees have approved $52 million for the final phase of construction for new digital communication systems on NYPA transmission lines, improving the efficiency and reliability of the New York State electricity system.

 

The multiphase Communications Backbone initiative, first announced in 2017, involves the installation of fiber optic cables and other communications systems connecting NYPA’s 16 power generating facilities and 1,400 miles of transmission infrastructure to its White Plains office and the Integrated Smart Operations Center.

 

“These measures will improve the reliability of the Power Authority’s statewide power grid by allowing operators to be more informed and responsive to changing conditions on our transmission lines,” said Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA president and CEO. “Reliable communication is integral to safety and security, and as technology advances this program ensures communication systems along our transmission system are state of the art.”

 

NYPA’s Communications Backbone initiative is currently underway across the state. It replaces legacy leased communication circuits with new infrastructure that will increase available bandwidth as more digital assets and sensors come online via NYPA’s concurrent Sensor Deployment program aimed at adding approximately 100,000 data points—or units of information—for monitoring NYPA equipment. Together, the programs support Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s comprehensive State of the State proposal to modernize the state’s power grid to bolster its reliability and accommodate intermittent renewable energy sources to support New York’s Green New Deal and clean energy goals.

 

Funding for the final phase of the program was authorized by the NYPA Board of Trustees at its December 11 meeting and will cover costs for the installation of optical ground wire along several transmission lines throughout the state and microwave systems in southeast New York. Trustees previously authorized $19.78 million in March 2017 and $77.5 million last year.  The program completion date is estimated to be sometime next year.

 

When the Communications Backbone initiative is complete, NYPA will have a dedicated, robust, secure and scalable communication network connecting all its facilities. The network will replace previous technology, increase the quantity and quality of available information on NYPA’s physical assets, and communicate potential equipment problems remotely. The initiative, which is estimated to cost approximately $153 million in total, will lead to better analytics and improved operations and business decisions.

 

In addition to anticipated savings from improved operational efficiency, the initiative will yield additional net savings through the installation of fiber-optic cables and remote sensors that will allow NYPA to connect and communicate with its generation and transmission assets, resulting in a reduced reliance on commercial telecommunications providers.

 

The Communications Backbone initiative is a foundational element in the Power Authority’s smart generation and transmission and asset management strategic initiatives and a critical component in NYPA’s ambition to become the first end-to-end digital utility in the United States.

 

About NYPA

NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 16 generating facilities and more than 1,400 circuit‑miles of transmission lines. More than 80 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA uses no tax money or state credit. It finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. For more information, visit www.nypa.gov and follow us on Twitter @NYPAenergy, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and LinkedIn.

 

New York State's Green New Deal   

Governor Cuomo's Green New Deal is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, putting the state on a path to being entirely carbon-neutral across all sectors of the economy and establishing a goal to achieve a zero-carbon emissions electricity sector by 2040, faster than any other state. It builds on New York's unprecedented ramp-up of clean energy including a $2.9 billion investment in 46 large-scale renewable projects across the state, the creation of more than 150,000 jobs in New York's clean energy sector, a commitment to develop nearly 1,700 megawatts of offshore wind by 2024, and 1,700 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2012.

The recently passed Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act mandates the Green New Deal's nation-leading clean energy targets: nine gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035, six gigawatts of distributed solar by 2025, and three gigawatts of energy storage by 2030, while calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy. The CLCPA also directs New York State agencies and authorities to collaborate with stakeholders to develop a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050 and aim to invest 40 percent of clean energy and energy efficiency program resources to benefit disadvantaged communities.