Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the State Public Service Commission has approved a new framework for the State to achieve at least 10 gigawatts of distributed solar by 2030, enough to annually power nearly 700,000 average-sized homes.
Article continues below
The roadmap, submitted by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the New York State Department of Public Service to the PSC, provides a comprehensive strategy to expand the state's successful NY-Sun initiative into one of the largest and most inclusive solar programs of its kind in the nation.
Earth Week, which this year runs from April 18-22, is celebrated with events worldwide in support of the environment and to raise awareness for environmental protection and the care of our planet.
The adopted framework includes an investment of $1.5 billion in ratepayer-funded incentives to extend the successful NY-Sun program and continue the marked reduction in project cost and incentives observed in the last 10 years. The public investment will spur approximately $4.4 billion in private investment to bring awarded projects to fruition, for a total of $5.9 billion in expected investment over the mid- to late-2020s. 6,000 additional solar jobs will be created across the state, including with the State's first application of prevailing wage requirements for solar projects between one and five megawatts.
The program expansion will also deliver at least 35 percent of the benefits, with a goal of 40 percent, from the investments to disadvantaged communities and low-to moderate- income New Yorkers. Today's announcement supports the State's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) mandate to generate 70 percent of the state's electricity from renewables by 2030 as part of a resilient and equitable transition to a clean energy economy.
The roadmap approved by the Commission and developed by DPS and NYSERDA carefully evaluated multiple strategies to deploy ten gigawatts or more of distributed solar by 2030 and determined that extending the State's successful NY-Sun initiative provides the most efficient and cost-effective path forward.
Achieving the state's expanded solar goal is expected to generate enough clean electricity per year to power nearly 700,000 additional New York homes, including those in disadvantaged communities.
Importantly, the now-approved roadmap provides:
Enough new clean, renewable energy to annually power 700,000 additional homes;
At least 1,600 megawatts, enough to power 280,000 homes, of new solar capacity to benefit disadvantaged communities and low-to-moderate income New Yorkers, with an estimated $600 million in investments serving these communities;
At least 450 megawatts, enough to power nearly 79,000 homes, to be built in the Con Edison electric service area (covering New York City and parts of Westchester), increasing the installed solar capacity in this area to over one gigawatt, enough to power nearly 175,000 homes;
At least 560 megawatts, enough to power 98,000 homes, to be advanced through the Long Island Power Authority; and
A new requirement that workers associated with the construction of NY Sun supported projects that are greater than one megawatt be paid the applicable prevailing wage. ■