Vote Solar – New York Solar Jobs Act of 2011

Vote Solar – New York Solar Jobs Act of 2011.

Help New York go solar! Tell your state lawmakers that you support the Solar Jobs Act today — S.4178 & A.5713 (View bill text here)

With rising electricity needs, plenty of sunshine, and a local workforce primed for green jobs, New York has what it takes to lead the new solar economy. But the state has a policy structure that’s supported less than 54 MW of installed solar to date. That’s not even 0.1% of New York’s electricity mix. New Jersey installed more than twice that much solar in 2010 alone.

The Empire State is missing a tremendous opportunity to invest its energy dollars in local jobs, economic opportunity and a brighter future for the state. New York can and should use smart solar policies to go further.

The Solar Industry Development & Jobs Act of 2011 provides a much-needed blueprint for solar leadership by:

• Setting a strong solar target of 5,000 MW – enough to power 500,000 average households and equivalent to 3% of the state’s total electric load.
• Establishing annual interim targets that ramp up to meet that impressive solar end goal at minimum cost and maximum benefit to New York ratepayers.
• Supporting a broad spectrum of business models and technologies to serve the residential, commercial and utility sectors. This design feature enables diverse participation and supports a strong, competitive local solar market.

Altogether it’s a recipe for creating tens of thousands of new local jobs and billions in economic output – all while reducing harmful emissions and reliance on fossil-fuels.

Additional Resources:

Fact Sheets:

• Memoranda of Support: Over 100 organizations and growing
• About the New York Solar Industry Development & Jobs Act (pdf)
• Solar in New York – System Examples and FAQ

Press Highlights:

• New York Takes a Step Toward Solar: WAMC Public Radio – 4/12/2011
• A Solar Economy: Buffalo News – 4/17/2011
• Solar energy credits power growth of technology: Journal News – 4/26/2011

Press Releases:

• Coalition Calls for Passage of the Solar Industry Development and Jobs Act – 4/12/2011

Blogs to Watch:

• New York on Vote Solar’s Blog
• NY’s Pierre Bull on the NRDC Switchboard Blog

Partner Resources:

• New York League of Conservation Voters Action Page
• Citizens Campaign for the Environment Action Page

Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY), the American Lung Association in New York, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Environmental Advocates of New York, Environment New York, New York Interfaith Power and Light, New York League of Conservation Voters, New York Solar Energy Industries Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, Pace Climate and Energy Center, Physicians for Social Responsibility – New York Chapter, Renewable Energy Long Island, Solar Alliance, and the Vote Solar Initiative.