NYSERDA asks PSC for funding to add 6 GW of solar, expand low-income access

Petition would meet Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act commitment 

Today, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) filed its latest petition to the Public Service Commission (PSC) for funding to expand the NY-Sun program. The new expansion is intended to grow the solar market to 6 gigawatts of solar by 2025, as required by law as part of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) passed earlier this year, and to expand access to cost-saving solar in low-income communities.

Sean Garren, Senior Director for the Northeast at Vote Solar, issued the following statement:

“New York committed to giving everyone the opportunity to directly participate in and reap the rewards of the clean energy economy when it committed to powering one million homes with local, distributed solar power  by 2025. Today’s petition from NYSERDA represents a major step forward on the path to making New York Million Solar Strong. We look forward to working with NYSERDA and the PSC to improve this petition and bring it across the finish line swiftly.

The portion of this petition dedicated to installing solar to serve disadvantaged communities also represents a big step forward, but the vision for the future is significantly less clear. NYSERDA must also work with the PSC and Governor Cuomo to secure funding for 250,000 families in disadvantaged communities to go solar. Without the same ambitious goals for disadvantaged communities that we have for the Empire State as a whole, we will not make the just transition New Yorkers want and deserve.”