Albany, NY – Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha, rallying alongside Assembly and Senate colleagues, advocacy organizations, and over 700 New York State public school students, announced the introduction of the Solar for Schools Act (A2720/S2632), which provides $500 million in upfront funding for solar, geothermal, and storage projects, and removes financial and logistical barriers that prevent schools from adopting clean energy. The bill currently has XX co-sponsors in the Assembly and Senate and has been endorsed by the New York State School Boards Association, Treeage, Generation180, and UndauntedK12.

While the direct pay provisions enshrined in the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) opened up a new era of public investment in clean energy,public schools still struggle to access those funds because they cover only 30-60 percent of total project costs, and the savings are paid back over time. The legislation helps to minimize out-of-pocket expenses for schools by providing upfront complementary funds and technical assistance through NYSERDA, covering up to 50% of project costs and complement incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). With the state’s support and IRA benefits, schools would only be responsible for up to 20% of costs.

The legislation also pursues long-term savings and resiliency for New York State, as schools are among the largest energy consumers in local communities, and utility bills are typically their second largest expense after staffing. By removing these technical and financial barriers to adopting geothermal and solar energy, this allows schools and communities to significantly reduce utility costs and free up dollars for critical educational programs, teacher salaries, and student services. Additionally, as classrooms increasingly experience extreme temperatures and are now required to have a maximum temperature of 88 degrees, Solar for Schools ensures that as many of our schools as possible can unlock the benefits of IRA to invest in clean geothermal projects that replace fossil-based heating systems and add cooling functionality. By leveraging state and federal resources, the bill positions New York as a leader in sustainable school infrastructure, delivering economic, environmental, and health benefits for students, teachers, and communities throughout the state.

“Healthy and modern public school buildings shouldn’t be just an aspiration”, Assemblymember Shrestha stated.In New York, we can implement the Solar for Schools program and award upfront complementary funds and technical assistance to select schools that are pursuing renewable energy projects and seeking federal direct pay provisions, which are very much alive in the Inflation Reduction Act. Without state support, school districts may never be able to access those federal funds because they would still have to cover 40 to 70 percent of the total project cost, and because the savings are only paid back over time. The inability to secure upfront funding and technical know-how should not be the reasons why schools interested in clean energy are left out from accessing the opportunities in the IRA.