Henrietta, N.Y. — A $4.7 million state grant aims to improve electrical infrastructure in Henrietta and fuel further economic development.
The grant from Empire State Development to Monroe County will provide upgrades to a Rochester Gas & Electric substation in the town, according to a release from the state.
This grant will enable RG&E to proceed with the initial phases of the electrical infrastructure upgrades needed to attract and retain significant commercial and industrial development for current and new businesses seeking to expand and relocate to Monroe County. Some of those business include a solar panel manufacturer, research and development (R&D) for beverage production, advanced manufacturing, and a semi-conductor supply chain company. The total project cost for the needed infrastructure upgrades has been placed at $17 million.
“We’ve had a number of projects that have had to be turned away because they can’t get power today, so this is a huge step in that direction,” Henrietta Town Supervisor Stephen Schultz said. “We are pursuing multiple billions of dollars’ worth of investment in this area.”
Work is slated to begin this year. The project is already ahead of schedule, according to the release.
This project will support future development in Southwest Henrietta with more than 50 MW of additional capacity at Station 255 to support load growth. Scheduled to begin this year, RG&E will work to move the project to completion as expeditiously as possible. Additionally, RG&E will continue to work with customers on solutions based on unique project circumstances to allow them to advance. As part of the Proactive Planning Proceeding announced by the Public Service Commission in August, RG&E has proposed two additional projects that would open approximately 80 MW of additional capacity to support building electrification for housing, economic development and electric vehicle charging in Monroe County.