Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF-Sag Harbor) announced that communities across the state have come together to bring clean and affordable solar power to their localities at a discounted cost of up to 20 percent. With 26 campaigns launching through Reforming the Energy Vision, communities can obtain solar installations as a large group rather than an individual household – making it cheaper for everyone involved. In addition, the program is helping remove many of the obstacles that inhibit solar options, such as feasibility studies and finding the right contractor. The South Fork’s initiative, “Solarize South Fork,” includes the Town of Southampton, Village of Southampton, Town of East Hampton, and the Villages of Sag Harbor and East Hampton.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has partnered with 26 community campaigns across the state to encourage more New Yorkers to sign on to the Community Solar NY program. The solarize campaigns are located in Long Island, the Capital Region, the Finger Lakes, Central New York, Southern Tier, North Country, and the Bronx. They are managed by community partnerships that include local municipalities, planning organizations, sustainability groups, state legislators, business groups, and Native American tribes, among others. Community Solar NY is helping to support these campaigns by providing marketing materials, a streamlined customer acquisition platform, technical assistance and funding, and by sharing best practices to help community projects succeed.

New York State is actively spurring clean energy innovation, bringing in new investments and improving consumer choice and affordability through initiatives such as the Clean Energy Fund, $1 billion NY-Sun Initiative, $1 billion NY Green Bank, $40 million NY-Prize competition for community microgrids and others. New York is pioneering a new statewide approach, giving customers new opportunities for energy savings, local power generation, and enhanced reliability to provide safe, clean, and affordable electric service for all customers.