Gov. Cuomo’s NY-Sun competitive solar program off to bright start

USA: Governor Cuomo’s NY-Sun Competitive PV Program is drawing strong participation from New York energy customers and solar developers.

In a successful first round, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) awarded $46 million for 76 large-scale projects totaling 52 megawatts (MW) of new solar capacity, enough to power nearly 9,000 New York homes.

Solar advocates and industry applauded the early results of the program and the state’s continued commitment to bringing reliable clean power and local solar jobs to New York.

The NY-Sun competitive PV program delivers affordable solar power to larger energy consumers, including businesses, public buildings, and factories. The $46 million from New York State will leverage $100 million in private investment. It is the first of three Competitive PV Program award rounds planned this year. The program is part of the NY-Sun Initiative, a public-private partnership designed to drive growth in the state’s solar industry and lower solar costs for all New Yorkers.

The program will quadruple the amount of customer-sited solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity added between 2011 and 2013. In this year’s State of the State address, Governor Cuomo committed to extending the NY-Sun Initiative through 2023.

“The resounding solar success we are seeing today is just the beginning for New York. Governor Cuomo’s ambitious vision for a 10 year extension of the NY-Sun Initiative will drive the kind of investment that it takes to build a world-class solar market,” said Carrie Cullen Hitt, senior VP for state affairs at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

“Our state’s growing solar industry employs thousands of New Yorkers working to build our new energy economy through projects like those awarded by NYSERDA today. With its ambitious goals and long-term vision, a 10-year NY-Sun Initiative will keep putting boots on roofs and creating good jobs up and down the state,” said Sail Van Nostrand, president of the New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA).