DPS Announces Selection of Executive Director for the Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission

ALBANY - Rory M. Christian, CEO of the New York State Department of Public Service (DPS) announced today the appointment of Zeryai Hagos as Executive Director of the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES), a new office within the Department of Public Service charged with consolidating the environmental review and permitting of major renewable energy facilities and major electric transmission lines in New York State into a single forum that provides a coordinated and timely review of siting permit applications.

"To achieve the ambitious targets set by the Climate Act and replace aging infrastructure, we must reinvent our electricity system to integrate new renewable generation and transmission that is being added continually," CEO Christian said. "I have complete confidence in Mr. Hagos' ability to ensure all existing project applications continue to proceed apace. In the meantime, I thank Interim Executive Director Jessica Waldorf for her service during these past few months and for establishing a strong foundation from which ORES can continue to move forward."

The Renewable Action through Project Interconnection and Deployment (RAPID) Act, which Governor Kathy Hochul advanced in this year's budget, created a one-stop-shop for the environmental review and permitting of major renewable energy and transmission facilities within ORES at New York State Department of Public Service (DPS). The goal of the RAPID Act is to speed siting and permitting of major renewable energy and electric transmission facilities, while protecting the environment and responding to community concerns.

ORES Executive Director Zeryai Hagos said, "I would like to thank Rory Christian for today's announcement. ORES is well-positioned to continue supporting the development of renewable energy generation and electric transmission facilities in New York, and I look forward to continuing the office's successful track record of executing permits while eliminating red tape, in a way that balances impacts and protects our environmental resources."

All large-scale, renewable energy projects 25 megawatts (MWs) or larger are required to obtain a siting permit from ORES for new construction or expansion, as are new major electric transmission lines. ORES currently has 14 applications pending approval, totaling approximately 1,860 MWs of clean, renewable energy. Since its inception in 2021, ORES has permitted 18 projects totaling 2,807 MWs of clean energy, or enough electricity to power more than 750,000 average-sized homes.

In addition to ensuring the professional and timely review of pending renewable energy siting applications, Mr. Hagos will continue to establish ORES within the DPS, ensure the efficient integration of staff teams, and lead the development of new regulations to streamline transmission siting under the newly created Article VIII of the Public Service Law.

Mr. Hagos is a clean energy executive with more than 20 years of experience in government and the private sector. He has a proven track record as a leader of regulatory, policy, and business initiatives in the utility and clean energy industries. Ms. Waldorf will remain in her role as Chief of Staff and Director of Policy Implementation at DPS.

Prior to his ORES appointment, Mr. Hagos had been the Deputy Director of Clean Energy and Markets within the Office of Markets and Innovation at DPS. In this role, he was responsible for all areas pertaining to grid connected large-scale and distributed energy resources to achieve New York's renewable energy goals. Mr. Hagos and his team were also responsible for the development and monitoring of New York's long-term grid planning processes, wholesale and retail market policies, along with the energy storage, and electric vehicle charging deployment goals and policies.

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