NY Commission Approves Offshore Wind Implementation Plan

NY DPS Press Releases

Published February 12th, 2026

Detected February 27th, 2026

Summary

The New York Public Service Commission approved NYSERDA's Offshore Wind Implementation Plan, which aims to reduce ratepayer costs associated with offshore wind development. The plan outlines processes for managing the sale of Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificates (ORECs).

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What changed

The New York Public Service Commission has approved NYSERDA's Offshore Wind (OSW) Implementation Plan, a key component of the state's Clean Energy Standard. This approval facilitates the orderly management of the OSW program and the sale of Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificates (ORECs) by NYSERDA. The plan includes provisions for the sale of ORECs through long-term contracts, pre-sales, and re-sales, which are intended to reduce the financial obligations of load serving entities and ultimately lower costs for residential and commercial ratepayers.

This decision impacts energy companies operating within New York, particularly those designated as load serving entities (LSEs), which are obligated to procure new OSW resources. While the document does not specify immediate compliance actions for LSEs beyond their existing obligations, it establishes the framework for managing OREC sales and associated costs. Regulated entities should familiarize themselves with the processes and timelines detailed in the OSW Implementation Plan, particularly concerning the sale and procurement of ORECs, to ensure continued compliance with the Clean Energy Standard. The Empire Wind project, a significant offshore wind development, is scheduled to come online in 2027.

What to do next

Review NYSERDA's Offshore Wind Implementation Plan for details on OREC sales and procurement processes.
Assess impact of OREC sale mechanisms on existing obligations under the Clean Energy Standard.
Monitor future NYGATS system updates related to OSW generation interconnection.

Source document (simplified)

February 12, 2026 Albany

Commission Approves Off-Shore Wind Implementation Plan

Decision Helps Reduce Ratepayer Costs Related to Offshore Wind Development ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) today approved the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's (NYSERDA) Offshore Wind (OSW) Implementation Plan proposal.

“The Commission acted to ensure the orderly management of the OSW program and corresponding sale of OSW Renewable Energy Certificates (ORECs) by NYSERDA when the program becomes operational,” said Commission Chair Rory M. Christian. “Our decision today will benefit residential and commercial customers by ensuring that ratepayer costs related to offshore wind development are reduced.”

The OSW program is a critical component of the Clean Energy Standard and the Proposal put forth by NYSERDA contains the necessary processes and timelines to effectively manage the OSW program. The OSW Standard obligates each LSE to serve its retail customers by procuring new OSW resources, evidenced by the procurement of ORECs from NYSERDA.

NYSERDA is responsible for management, sale, and distribution of ORECs within the New York Generation Attribute Tracking System (NYGATS) once OSW generation assets are interconnected to the grid and begin generating into the New York Control Area. New York has several offshore wind projects under development with the 816 MW Empire Wind project scheduled to come online in 2027.

Today’s decision provides for several avenues for the sale of ORECs, including the long-term contracting of ORECs, and the pre-sale and re-sale of ORECs to interested parties. These sales reduce the obligation upon load serving entities and utilities which are charged based on their share of the statewide load. This in turn reduces the costs incurred by ratepayers related to the OSW program.

Today’s decision may be obtained by going to the Commission Documents section of the Commission’s website at www.dps.ny.gov and entering Case Number 15-E-0302 in the input box labeled "Search for Case/Matter Number". Many libraries offer free Internet access. Commission documents may also be obtained from the Commission’s Files Office, 14th floor, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223 (518-474-2500). If you have difficulty understanding English, please call us at 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this press release.

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