New York Reaches 6 Gigawatts of Solar Power One Year Early!
New York has been on a cleantech blitz. The latest news in that regard is that the state has reached 6 gigawatts (GW) of installed solar power capacity. Even better, it achieved that milestone a year earlier than it had targeted, as enshrined in its Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. In general, this amount of solar power in New York produces enough electricity for one million homes.
Here’s another giant stat: the 6 GW of solar installed in New York have pulled in $9.2 billion in private investment. Additionally, 14,000 jobs have been created from all of this.
The solar project that tipped the state over the finish line is owned by Generate Capital and was developed by New Leaf Energy. It is a 5.7-kWh solar power system that is expected to produce enough electricity each year for one thousand homes. “The project participates in the Solar for All pilot program with utility partner National Grid where the energy harnessed by this project benefits low-income households,” NYSERDA adds.
“New York is the national leader in community solar deployments, allowing renters, low-income residents, and others who cannot install their own panels to benefit from solar energy. In 2023, New York ranked first in the nation in total installed community solar capacity. Last year was also the state’s most productive year ever for solar installations, with 885 MW of capacity installed.”
