Nearly six years ago, New York enacted the nation’s most ambitious climate law. These are not just lofty aspirations—they are essential to avoiding the worst impacts of climate change while improving public health by reducing pollution linked to cancer, asthma, and heart disease.
Despite economic headwinds, including a global pandemic, inflation, and supply chain disruptions, New York has made progress, particularly in solar energy. The state reached its initial goal of 6 gigawatts (GW) of distributed solar ahead of schedule and raised the target to 10 GW by 2030—enough to power 1.5 million homes. Community solar has been an especially bright spot, with over 400,000 households benefiting from lower energy costs and direct savings. New York’s leadership in this space is a testament to the fact that when the state commits to bold action, it delivers results.
Now, it’s time to build on that momentum. Every New Yorker should have the opportunity to benefit from the clean energy transition, but barriers still exist that prevent wider adoption. One of the most impactful steps the state can take is modernizing New York’s residential solar tax credit in the state budget. While solar costs have declined in the past decade, upfront installation expenses remain a major obstacle, particularly for low-income households. Strengthening New York’s residential solar tax credit will make rooftop solar more affordable, allowing more New Yorkers to participate in the clean energy economy while reducing their electricity bills.
Governor Hochul and legislative leaders should move swiftly to include this provision in the final state budget. Both the Assembly and Senate have already signaled support by including the solar tax credit modernization in their one-house budgets, and the ball is now squarely in the Governor’s court. With federal clean energy programs under attack, New York must ensure it protects and expands access to clean energy, rather than leaving families vulnerable to rising energy costs and New York’s solar workforce exposed to policy uncertainty in Washington.
Beyond targeted clean energy investments, New York has an opportunity to advance one of the New York League of Conservation Voters’ top priorities; a robust cap-and-invest program that would put a firm limit on greenhouse gas emissions while generating revenue for clean energy initiatives. This approach ensures that the biggest polluters are held accountable while funding programs that make clean energy, including rooftop and community solar, more accessible and affordable. We need the Hochul Administration to release all draft regulations, accelerating the state’s transition away from fossil fuels and providing a long-term investment in climate resilience, job creation, and energy affordability.
New York also has the opportunity to lower energy costs for all New Yorkers by cutting through red tape to make it cheaper and easier to build rooftop and community solar projects. Restrictive local laws, increasingly onerous permitting requirements, and rising utility interconnection costs are making solar power more expensive than it needs to be. New York can overcome permitting challenges by advancing siting reform for community solar, and requiring larger municipalities to adopt an automated residential solar permitting platform. Ten other states have already adopted automated permitting for residential solar; a commonsense use of 21st century technology to make the approval process more efficient, cutting costs for homeowners and speeding up the adoption of rooftop solar across the state. Similarly, New York can counteract rising utility interconnection costs by providing better oversight over utility companies’ construction costs and implementing smart grid technologies that enable lower-cost and faster integration of renewable energy sources.
With these critical steps, New York can build upon its success and cement its leadership in clean energy. That’s why the New York League of Conservation Voter and New York Solar Energy Industries Association are advocating for the passage of the Accelerate Solar for Affordable Power (“ASAP”) Act; legislation that will raise the state’s rooftop and community solar goal to 20 GW by 2035 and drive down costs through interconnection reforms. 20 GW by 2035 is a necessary and achievable milestone that will help meet growing energy demand while reducing emissions. Modernizing the residential solar tax credit, streamlining the permitting process, and reforming the interconnection process will not only advance solar adoption but also create jobs, strengthen the economy, and lower energy costs for families.
Solar energy has been one of New York’s brightest success stories, but without further action, its momentum could go dim. The path is clear, the benefits are undeniable, and the moment for action is now. Let’s seize it.
Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters and Noah Ginsburg, Executive Director of New York Solar Energy Industries Association
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