LIPA, Suffolk County and enXco Spotlight Hauppauge Solar Carport Project

Solar Carport Project is among the largest in the nation; will produce clean power and create new “Green” jobs

Hauppauge, NY – The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy and enXco, highlighted the progress of solar carports that have been constructed on the south side of the H. Lee Dennison property. The work involves the use of thousands of solar panels to construct 10 carport buildings at this location and is expected to deliver 2.1 MW’s of solar power. The project is estimated to be operational by early 2012.

This solar carport project is among the largest solar carport installations in the United States. It is expected that over 60,000 solar modules will be installed at parking lots across Suffolk County providing up to 17 MW’s of solar power enough to power 1,850 homes.

LIPA Chief Operating Officer Michael D. Hervey said, “The enXco Solar Carport and BP Solar Farm projects demonstrate how unique public-private partnerships can benefit our energy future while creating jobs and strengthening our local economy. These ground-breaking projects reaffirm LIPA’s commitment to clean renewable technology and energy efficiency on Long Island, and we look forward to the creation of future projects of this scale.”

“Seeing is believing, and this is an exciting example of progressive collaboration involving county government, the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) and the private sector,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy. “We are taking what was once merely a concept and are turning it into a reality that produces jobs and long-lasting benefits for our society.”

Paul Kaufman, Executive Vice President of Transactions for enXco, commented, “We are pleased to launch the construction phase at the Dennison site. These multiple project sites represent the largest distributed utility scale solar project for enXco. We applaud the efforts and commitment of LIPA and Suffolk County to bring this vital renewable energy project to their service area and look forward to a successful future.”

Gordian Raacke, Executive Director of the not-for-profit organization Renewable Energy Long Island, added, “By combining the two things we have in abundance, parking lots and sunshine, Long Island could become the Saudi Arabia of solar power. Thanks to this visionary initiative of County Executive Levy, LIPA and enXco, 'power-lots' all over Long Island could generate a large portion of our electricity needs from the sun while keeping more of our energy dollars in the regional economy.”

Hervey also pointed out that most of the work surrounding this project is being done right here on Long Island through local companies and unions thereby creating local jobs and supporting the local economy.

Construction of the solar carports is currently underway at the H. Lee Dennison Building and the Long Island Railroad Brentwood Station. The next site to be developed will be the North County Complex in Hauppauge.

Since 2000, LIPA’s nationally recognized solar programs have rebated 4,646 solar installs totaling $115,928,808 million sustaining a solar market industry that has grown from just two part-time solar installers to more than 50 full-time solar companies employing about 300 men and women on Long Island.

LIPA, a non-profit municipal electric provider, owns the retail electric Transmission and Distribution System on Long Island and provides electric service to more than 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. LIPA is the 2nd largest municipal electric utility in the nation in terms of electric revenues, 3rd largest in terms of customers served and the 7th largest in terms of electricity delivered. In 2010, LIPA outperformed all other overhead electric utilities in New York State for frequency of service interruptions, and ranked second for duration of service interruptions. LIPA does not provide natural gas service or own any on-island generating assets. More information about LIPA can be found online at: http://www.lipower.org.

Media Contact Information
Mark Gross
Phone - (516) 719-9892
Media Pager - (516) 229-7248
media.relations@lipower.org

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