Tim Sylvia reports for PV Magazine
What was billed as the opening of the state’s newest community solar project became a monumental day in New York solar history. The installation, a 6.12 MW project developed by ForeFront Power in Mechanicville, put New York at over 2 GW of solar installed. The Empire State has now become the 9th in the country to have more than 2 GW of solar capacity installed.
The milestone also keeps New York on track to achieve the statewide target of installing 6 GW of solar by 2025.
“Solar energy is a vital part of New York’s Green New Deal strategy to transition to a clean energy future, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. “The success of this initiative demonstrates we are on the path to meeting our nation-leading climate goals, and our clean energy agenda is spurring economic growth and jobs while leaving this planet cleaner and greener for generations to come.”
New York is in an especially interesting spot as it positions itself as a national solar leader. While nearly every state within the “2 GW installed” club is home to massive utility-scale projects, New York’s greatest potential lies in distributed generation. The state has no shortage when it comes to rooftops, a resource that is currently being used to develop a a 316 MW / 2528 MWh (that’s 8 hours) energy storage facility (pdf). Furthermore, a study done by City University of New York early in the decade found that 66.4% of all rooftops in New York city were suitable for solar installations, totaling well over 5 GW in capacity.
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