ACTION ALERT: New York’s Solar Leadership is Under Attack

Dear Friends, 

350Brooklyn has learned some distressing news about the New York Public Service Commission’s plans regarding solar energy, and we hope you can join us in mobilizing to make some phone calls to Governor Hochul and your state legislators. 

The PSC plans to ignore New York City’s petition to extend New York’s community solar program in Con Edison’s territory, which is on track to expire this month. This is despite an outpouring of supportive comments from diverse stakeholders. The only comments in opposition to the petition were from the investor owned utilities. And to make matters worse, the PSC recently directed New York’s investor-owned utilities to impose a new solar tax on residential customers that will go into effect on January 1st. The combined effect of these actions will be fewer solar jobs and reduced access to solar for renters and homeowners alike, in NYC and across the State. These headwinds are right on the heels of Governor Hochul’s big announcement to expand New York’s solar goal to ten gigawatts. Big goals are great, but we can’t afford to under-invest in our solar industry today and then expect it to scale up tomorrow.

Here is a script for calling Governor Hochul and other state elected officials: 

  • My name is _____________, I am a New Yorker and an [environmentalist] [homeowner] [affordable housing professional] [community organizer] [solar energy professional] [student] [retiree] [public employee] [entrepreneur].
  • I’m calling to voice my support for solar in New York, and to voice concern that the New York Public Service Commission is acting to limit our access to clean affordable energy.
  • New York’s community solar program in NYC and Westchester is expiring this month, because half of the program was wrongly used to subsidize natural gas fuel cells years ago.
  • The City of New York petitioned the PSC to extend the community solar program in March with strong public support and limited opposition. The PSC has ignored that call.
  • To make matters worse, last month the PSC ordered New York’s private for-profit utility companies to implement a solar tax for homeowners and small businesses.
  • These actions are not aligned with New York’s bold clean energy goals. 
  • Please ask Governor Hochul to put solar on the agenda for the PSC’s October meeting and to work with the new PSC chair to extend our community solar program and to prevent private utilities from taxing the sun.