Vote Solar supports passage of New York’s Build Public Renewables Act

As currently constituted, the Build Public Renewables Act (A.1466/S. 6453) enables an “all hands on deck” path forward for meeting climate goals for New York, while meaningfully advancing energy democracy and serving disadvantaged communities with affordable, clean energy. We urge the Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign this important bill.

Vote Solar recognizes private industry’s critical role in bringing investment, technical knowhow and motive to bear on the challenge of meeting our climate pollution reduction targets. At the same time, we believe the state has an important role in ensuring its renewable energy development goals and decarbonisation targets are met. Without the backing of the state via a workable policy mechanism, we are left to hope that regulators can construct effective markets to spur development of all the renewable projects needed to comply with statutory carbon thresholds and technology penetration. We believe the New York Power Authority (NYPA) is a tool that should not be underutilized as the climate crisis intensifies. 

Recent changes to the bill, in our view, allow for the efficient use of private market and investments – while still offering the state the authority it needs to backfill any unmet obligations to develop projects. The current version of the bill also takes leaps forward to meaningfully benefit our disadvantaged neighbors and grant more decision-making power to everyday New Yorkers.