New York seeks bids for $1.5 billion in clean energy projects

New York State will seek bids for clean energy projects valued at up to $1.5 billion in a move Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration says is aimed at expanding the state’s green energy economy after President Donald Trump’s administration pulled out of the Paris climate accord.

The state expects the investments to result in up to 40,000 clean energy jobs by 2020 and millions of new megawatt hours of power.

On Friday, the New York Power Authority and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority issued bid requests for 40 to 60 large-scale renewable energy projects they said would power up to 350,000 homes. The projects would include wind power, commercial solar, small and large-scale hydro power and fuel cells.

The state on Friday also said it would double to $300 million the funding for two existing NYPA clean-energy programs—K-Solar, which seeks to put solar arrays on school rooftops, and BuildSmartNY, aimed at making state-owned buildings more energy efficient.

The state’s expansion of clean energy comes as Long Island’s solar industry has grappled with declines in recent months following the loss of state funds for a popular solar rebate program and a raising of interest rates for an on-bill financing program.

PSEG Long Island this week reported first-quarter solar rooftop installations were down 39 percent from the first quarter a year ago.