John,
What’s one energy resource that NYC has in abundance?
Our rooftops.
That idea has stuck with me as our city struggles to scale up solar energy at the pace we need to confront the climate crisis. Today, 89% of our city’s power comes from burning fossil fuels.
So on the campaign trail I proposed “Public Solar NYC:” an innovative program to cut through the expensive and bureaucratic process of installing rooftop solar by having the City finance, install, and own solar panels on private rooftops. Homeowners would share in the energy savings, workers would get good jobs with strong labor standards, the city would diversify the power grid, and we’d all benefit from accelerating the transition to clean energy.
I’m excited to share that today the Adams Administration announced a partnership with my office to make Public Solar a reality. Read more about it in Gothamist.
Public Solar NYC would leverage the opportunity of new federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to expand access to solar and other building decarbonization strategies to low-income homeowners. The program will include door-to-door outreach and grants and bridge loans for rooftop solar in historically-marginalized and environmental justice communities. Public Solar NYC will also include an innovative public option in which a City-owned entity would directly install and own the solar, sharing the benefits with residents.
Public Solar NYC aims to accelerate solar adoption across the city, make it accessible to all homeowners, create good green jobs, and include renewable power as part of our public infrastructure.
We’re working hard in the Comptroller’s office to make NYC a leader on the transition to green energy, from innovative new programs like public solar to decarbonizing the pension investments through our net zero plan.
There’s a lot of details to work out still, but I’m really excited by the progress we’ve made and the future of Public Solar in NYC.
Brad
