NY governor announces $40 mln for solar storage projects

Published on October 15, 2018 by Dave Kovaleski


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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced $40 million in funding for solar projects that integrate solar storage.

The NY-Sun program will make the funds available in early November. The funding will support the deployment of at least 50 megawatts (MW) of energy storage paired with solar. The program also aims to reduce barriers to the deployment of the technology associated with customer acquisition, siting and interconnection.

The funding supports progress toward New York’s energy storage target of 1,500-megawatts by 2025 as well as Cuomo’s mandate that 50 percent of the state’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2030. Cuomo made the announcement at the Alliance for Clean Energy-New York annual conference in Albany on Oct. 10.

“As we continue our aggressive pursuit of clean, renewable technologies, funding for projects like this will ensure New York remains at the forefront of the global fight against climate change,” Cuomo said. “The strategic pairing of energy storage and solar technologies moves us closer to building a clean energy economy that protects critical natural resources and benefits all New Yorkers.”

The NY-Sun program, a $1 billion investment to build a self-sustaining solar market and solar industry in New York State, has completed 85,327 solar projects with a total capacity of 1,203.2 MW. With more than 4,437 projects in the pipeline, officials said the NY-Sun program has positioned New York as third nationally for residential and non-residential solar installations year-to-date.

John Rhodes, CEO of the New York State Department of Public Service, said, “Solar- plus-storage projects are a solution whose time has come, as they enhance the value of solar while making energy storage cleaner. This strategic investment from the Clean Energy Fund will accelerate the development and deployment of a variety of energy storage systems and spur future market innovation.”