NY embraces solar to the tune of $1bn
New York governor Andrew Cuomo wowed the renewable community last week committing $US1 billion in new funding for solar energy projects. In 2012 Cuomo launched his NY-Sun initiative that has since earmarked almost 300 megawatts (MW) of solar projects, including installed and developing initiatives, a figure that equals the previous decade of solar investment.
Speaking at his annual State of the State address, Cuomo promised to deliver a further 3000 MW of installed solar capacity across New York State over the next ten years.
Representatives from the Natural Resources Defense Council claimed that the committment was a major win for the solar industry and the environment. “That’s enough solar to power 465,000 New York homes, cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2.3 million tons annually — the equivalent of taking almost 435,000 cars off the road — and create more than 13,000 new solar jobs.”
In addition to the NY-Sun initiative the governor also announced a new initiative named K-Solar that will assist the district’s 5,000 public and private schools to install solar providing useful “demonstration hubs” to spark interest in the technology and promote solar penetration in the surrounding communities.
Addressing the effects recent climate events such as Superstorm (aka Hurricane) Sandy, the governor outlined a $US40 million project to improve the electricity grid across the state, isolating grid failures and helping to bolster the network against future occurrences.
Cuomo’s efforts in the renewable field has promoted New York into the top three US states for clean energy job creation (behind only California and Nevada) according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
Other figures across New York really tell the story of their solar energy industry:
- Enough solar to power more than 30,900 homes
- New York currently ranks 12th in the country for installed solar capacity
- More than 411 solar companies in New York
- More than 3,300 people employed across the industry
