Governor of New York Kathy Hochul announced that New York has become the top community solar market in the United States with over 1 GW of community solar installed and operational. This announcement is aligned to the Climate Act goal of generating 70% of the state's electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and the Governor's goal to achieve 10 GW of solar by 2030.
New York also has the largest pipeline in the nation with enough community solar under construction to serve an additional 401,000 homes, ensuring continued access to clean affordable solar for all New Yorkers for years to come, according to the announcement. The current installed capacity is enough to serve 209,000 homes across the state.
Speaking on the occasion, Governor Hochul said "Reaching this nation-leading milestone – with more than 1 GW of community solar installed – is a testament to New York's aggressive pursuit of clean-energy alternatives that will supercharge our economy and bring us one step closer to a carbon-neutral future."
Community solar enables access to solar for homeowners, renters, and business owners who may not have ideal conditions to directly install solar panels onsite. Through this arrangement, clean energy is still delivered by a customer's regular electric providers, and the power produced from the solar array is fed directly back into the electric grid. As the electric grid is supplied with clean, renewable energy, subscribers receive a credit on their electric bills for their portion of the solar system's output.