By Mark Jaffe, EUCI energy writer
New York State is exploring how advanced nuclear power can be part of the state’s push to clean and dependable electricity and will develop a “master plan” for nuclear development, while exploring cost-sharing options with other states.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state will also support the plan by Constellation Energy to obtain federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission permits to place one or more advanced nuclear reactors at the Nine Mile Point Clean Energy Center in Oswego.
“We appreciate the governor’s leadership and New York’s ongoing support for nuclear energy, which produces more than 20% of the state’s energy,” Joe Dominguez, Constellation’s president and CEO, said in a statement.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has joined Constellation on a grant proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in support of the company’s plans.
Hochul also announced that New York will “co-lead a multi-state initiative facilitated by the National Association of State Energy Officials and [DOE]” to explore ways to reduce costs and share risk in nuclear energy development. That initiative is expected to launch in February.
The proposed “Master Plan for Responsible Advanced Nuclear Development,” expected to be completed by the end of 2026, will build on NYSERDA’s 2024 Blueprint for Advanced Nuclear Technologies.
The existing nuclear power plants – light water reactors – operate continuously as baseload and cannot ramp up and down to work in concert with variable renewable generation such as wind and solar.
“Advanced nuclear technology could similarly serve as baseload duty but is designed to be controllable, thus serving as a dispatchable clean resource to complement wind and solar resources,” the blueprint said.
Many of the advanced nuclear designs use modular units, which can operate individually.
The nuclear initiatives were part of $1 billion in climate-focused investments announced by Hochul on Jan. 14. The proposal marks the single largest climate investment in state history.
“Together we are driving forward with innovative technologies to achieve our decarbonization goals while ensuring economic growth,” Hochul said in a statement.
The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, passed in 2019, calls for 70% of the state’s electricity to come from renewable resources by 2030 and the elimination of all greenhouse gas emission from the utility sector by 2040.
In December 2024, NYSERDA executed contracts for 23 large-scale and land-based renewable energy projects totaling 2.3 gigawatts (GW), with some of them operational by 2028. The state also has a target of 9 GW of offshore wind by 2035.
In 2024, New York utility regulators also adopted a road map to deploy 6 GW of energy storage resources – about 20% of the state’s peak load – by 2030, doubling a 2018 target.
A report by New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli estimated that New York must triple its renewable energy generation capacity to meet the 70% goal by 2030.
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