LS Power Group's natural gas-fired Ravenswood Generating Station on New York City's East River could transform from the region's biggest fossil fuel power plant into a large-scale renewable energy and battery storage hub over the next decade under a multibillion-dollar plan unveiled July 12.

The "Renewable Ravenwood" redevelopment, to be pitched to state authorities through a series of regulatory filings in coming months, includes new high-voltage underwater transmission to carry up to 4,000 MW of offshore wind, onshore wind and solar energy to the site, as well as roughly 2,400 MWh of onsite energy storage. It would also repurpose existing plant infrastructure for a district heating and cooling system in a developing area of Queens and offer workforce retraining.

"What we're coming forward with here is a comprehensive vision for the long-term, complete transformation of the Ravenswood site," Clint Plummer, CEO of LS Power subsidiary Rise Light & Power, said in an interview. "This is a decadelong redevelopment exercise and will ultimately, after all regulatory approvals and after development of the new capacity that's able to replace the old capacity, ... result in transitioning from the largest fossil-fired generating facility in New York City."

Rise Light & Power operates the complex of steam generators, gas turbines and combined-cycle units at the more than 2,000-MW site, most of which has been in operation since the 1960s.

The plan aligns with New York state's efforts to achieve a power portfolio of 70% renewable energy by 2030 while phasing out fossil fuel power plants, especially in communities that have historically hosted such facilities and suffered from related air pollution.

LS Power previously has considered elements of the plan, including onsite battery storage, but the proposal presented by its affiliate represents a significantly broader vision that has been under development in consultation with the New York ISO for more than two years, according to Plummer.

The company will seek permits to build high-voltage direct-current transmission facilities that connect renewable energy to the site and transfer transmission rights from the existing fossil generators to those new facilities. If all goes smoothly, Ravenswood's fossil fuel capacity could retire "somewhere in the early 2030s," the CEO said.

Ending 'Asthma Alley'

The plan earned praise from a host of federal, state and local officials, as well as environmental advocates.

"A Renewable Ravenswood not only allows for the green powering of New York City, but it will also be a major step forward on environmental justice," U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., said in a statement. "The residents of my district have suffered through decades of pollution. A Ravenswood running on offshore wind power will solve this issue."

"Asthma Alley is a distinction western Queens is not proud of, and that means our community must be centered during the transition to clean energy with union jobs," added New York Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris. "We need to encourage projects like Renewable Ravenswood, which focus on meeting our climate priorities, including the ambitious goals laid out in the [Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act] passed by our Senate majority, so we can have a just transition and protect our neighbors."

The Renewable Ravenswood plan comes in the wake of a recent $1 billion proposal from Consolidated Edison Inc. subsidiary Consolidated Edison Co. of New York Inc. for its proposed Brooklyn Clean Energy Hub, which includes transmission infrastructure for 6,000 MW of offshore wind, planned for completion in two phases in 2027 and 2032.

LS Power has opposed Consolidated Edison's plan, calling into question its cost assumptions for integrating offshore wind. "Further, it is likely that alternatives to the proposed ConEd Hub could be less expensive, more efficient, and provide additional benefits," an LS Power affiliate said in a July 11 filing to the New York State Public Service Commission.

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