NYPA to own 51% of 240-MW solar project with EDF

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) will own 51% of a new 240-megawatt solar project, called Rich Road Solar, in St. Lawrence County, with France's EDF Power Solutions North America holding the rest and overseeing construction. It's the largest solar deal NYPA has done since New York's 2023-24 state budget directed the authority to start developing and owning renewable energy projects, not just the hydroelectric power it historically ran. Construction is expected to start in late 2027, with the project generating power by 2030.

For homeowners, this is mostly a sign of how New York is building out its larger electric grid, not something that changes your rebates or bills directly. The project does come with some local benefits: $1.2 million in payments to the host community over its first 10 years, plus $300,000 a year from NYPA, once the project is running, into a state program that gives bill credits to low-income households.

Not everyone is sold on the economics. A group called the New York Energy Alliance pointed to NYPA's own 2025 report, which found that new solar projects cost about $100 per megawatt-hour to build but only earn back about $50 per megawatt-hour selling into the state's power market — meaning these projects often need additional support to pencil out. The group argues this raises questions about the long-term cost of similar state-backed renewable projects, which could eventually affect electricity rates statewide.