New York Governor unveils strategy to achieve a minimum of 10 GW of distributed solar by 2030

Governor Kathy Hochul announced a plan that is expected to generate enough clean electricity per year to power nearly 700,000 additional New York homes, including those in disadvantaged communities.

December 20, 2021 Anne Fischer

Rooftop installation on a Port Authority building near New York City.

Image: Greenskies Clean Energy

The roadmap proposes a strategy for expanding the state’s NY-Sun initiative into one of the largest solar programs in the nation, expected to spur approximately $4.4 billion in private investment and create 6,000 additional solar jobs across the state. The expansion will also deliver at least 35% of the benefits with a goal of 40% from the investments to disadvantaged communities and low-to moderate- income New Yorkers.

The plan, which was submitted by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the New York State Department of Public Service (DPS) to the Public Service Commission for public comment and approval supports the State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) mandate to generate 70% of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

Read “New York state is going to need 23 GW more solar power“.

“In New York, we recognize the time to act on climate change is now — we simply cannot wait as we have seen the impacts of this crisis devastate our communities, our businesses, and our economy,” Governor Hochul said.

NYSERDA and DPS carefully evaluated multiple strategies to deploy 10 GW or more of distributed solar including projects that are under 5 MW in size, including rooftop installations and community solar projects. The groups determined that extending the State’s successful NY-Sun initiative provides the most efficient, familiar, and cost-effective path forward. Expanding the state’s solar goal is expected to have an average impact for New York customers’ bills of less than 1%, or approximately $0.71 per month for the average residence.

This announcement builds on the state’s success under NY-Sun whereby installed distributed solar projects, combined with the projects that are under development, bring the State to 95% of the current Climate Act goal to install 6 GW of distributed solar by 2025. In 2020, New York was ranked first in the nation in new community solar installations and second for total distributed solar installations.

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