State hits a 6 GW milestone and is making $10 million available to builders of new efficient homes.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) says the Empire State has achieved key a milestone and is making additional investments to reach a target of a zero-emission electricity grid by 2040. Community and housing sectors are proving important to achieving this goal.
NY Governor Kathy Hochul announced that 6 GW of distributed solar power have been installed throughout the state. The distributed solar effort is backed by support from the state’s $3.3 billion NY Sun initiative. According to NYSERDA, distributed solar is generating enough electricity to power more than a million homes and businesses, including those in disadvantaged communities.
The 6 GW milestone is on the way toward the state’s goal of installing 10 GW of distributed solar statewide by 2030. NTSERDA says that nearly 3.4 GW of the balance is already in development and is thus ahead of schedule for meeting that target.
“As the top community solar market in the nation, New York State has provided a replicable model for others to deliver clean, low-cost renewable energy to more consumers,” said Doreen M. Harris, NYSERDA president and CEO, in a statement. “Our public-private partnerships are the catalysts which have helped us to achieve our 6 GW goal well ahead of target, trailblazing New York’s path to an equitable energy transition.”
Harris spoke at a 5.7 MW distributed solar project in New Scotland, NY, developed by New Leaf Energy and owned by Generate Capital. Her office said the solar array will produce 6.7 GWh energy annually, enough to power nearly 1,000 homes.
Community solar and distributed generation markets are important in New York, which is one of two states recently analyzed by project planning firm Paces shown to be suffering from a sharp drop in optimal solar site availability, acreage and feeder capacity. Community and distributed projects offer a way for developers to deliver solar power to communities using large rooftops and smaller lots that are closer to off-takers.
On the consumption side of the grid, Hochul also announced that NY was making $10 million available to advance construction of new zero-emission single-family homes and townhomes through a program funded by the state’s Clean Energy Fund. This effort seeks to build two million climate-friendly homes by 2030. NYSERDA said working with the home building market to reduce emissions is critical to making progress toward the State’s climate and energy goals.
“New homes built to the latest clean energy and efficiency standards will ensure greener, healthier housing is available to all New Yorkers while helping pave the way toward a more sustainable future,” Hochul said, in a statement.
To qualify, construction projects must meet requirements and certification criteria for clean energy, code energy efficiency and resiliency of systems, including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning that remain operable during power outages or include backup power sources that can be used in the event of a power outage.
Applications for a single home, townhome or multiple homes and townhomes within a housing subdivision will be accepted through the end of 2025 or until funds have been exhausted.
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