NY Solar Bill Would Create 22,000 Jobs, US $20B Industry

A coalition of organizations – including Vote Solar, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Solar Alliance, the Apollo Alliance, and the Alliance for Clean Energy New York – urged state legislators to pass the Solar Industry Development and Jobs Act and make New York a leader in the nation’s growing solar economy.

By supporting the development of enough solar to power about one million homes by 2025, this legislation would drive significant economic opportunity in the state while adding less than the price of one postage stamp to New Yorkers’ monthly energy bills.

Specifically:

• Job Creation: 22,198 direct and induced jobs.
• Economic Output: US $20 billion dollars. This includes wages, salaries and revenues that can be reinvested into the state economy.
• Average Residential Electric Bill Impact: $0.39 per month.

Click here to read the full text of the report and additional information about the Solar Job Act.

"There's nothing more important right now for New York than new jobs -- and expanded use of solar power is an important way to create the new jobs and the clean energy we need. Our conference has worked to strengthen New York's leadership on renewable energy, and we will continue that effort. More solar means more jobs -- and more renewable power to support economic renewal statewide," said State Senate Majority Conference Leader John L. Sampson (D, Brooklyn).

The New York Solar Industry Development and Jobs Act of 2010 (S.7093a/A.11004) provides a policy roadmap for jumpstarting a new solar industry and economy in the state. The legislation requires each New York retail electric supplier, the New York Power Authority, and the Long Island Power Authority to annually procure a certain amount of solar electricity, which represents a gradually increasing percentage of their sales through 2025.

Scaled statewide, this amounts to about 5,000 megawatts (MW) of solar energy over the course of the program, which is enough to power approximately one million homes. The bill also supports a broad diversity of business models, developers, and system sizes so that industry growth can occur in all market segments.

The analysis used inputs and assumptions drawn from real-world experience of New York solar installers. A strong new solar energy market would likely also support a new in-state manufacturing base and associated economic benefits, although such manufacturing development was not included in this report. In order to quantify the potential rate impacts of the Solar Jobs Act, Vote Solar engaged an independent consultant, Crossborder Energy.

This analysis used historical Public Service Commission (PSC) rate data from across all New York utilities and customer classes to extrapolate expected rate trends for the lifetime of the proposed solar legislation.