November 14, 2019 Market Developments, New Technology, Standard Solar By Daryl Pilon
New York State has become one of the country’s leading markets for community solar, and Standard Solar, along with its partners, is providing the expertise and financing needed to bring these types of projects to completion.
The state’s embrace of community solar is the result of its strong solar policies and support from its political leaders. The NY-Sun program, a component of New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) plan, kick-started the growth of community solar in the state several years ago.
In 2018, New York increased the maximum size of community solar projects from 2 megawatts (MW) to 5 MW, lowering the costs for these types of projects.
The legislature and governor went a step further this year, adopting what some say are the most ambitious climate and clean energy targets in the country—New York Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The Act sets goals of 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2040 and economy-wide, net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. It also sets a goal of installing 6,000 MW of solar energy by 2025.