New York Must Double Down on What Works. Let’s Fund NY-Sun.
For years, New York has been a leader in building out a clean energy grid. And as we face skyrocketing energy demand and a stressed grid, the decisions made in this year’s state budget will determine how quickly we can build on this leadership.
NY-Sun is, by every meaningful measure, New York’s most successful clean energy program. Investments made in the program are deployed quickly, creating projects, jobs, and energy capacity in communities statewide.
The results speak for themselves. New York has already surpassed its goal of 6 gigawatts of distributed solar ahead of schedule and is years ahead of its 2030 target, all while coming in under budget.
Unlike large-scale energy developments that are often confined to rural or sparsely populated regions, distributed solar projects supported by NY-Sun bring economic activity to every corner of New York. From urban rooftops to suburban community solar installations, this program ensures that the benefits of the clean energy transition are widely shared.
That’s why we are calling to robustly fund the Sustainable Future Fund and ensure that at least $500 million is dedicated to continuing the successful NY-Sun program.
Equally important, NY-Sun is a jobs engine. At a time when economic inequality remains a pressing concern, we should think about continued clean energy investments as an opportunity to reduce emissions while raisings standards for workers. The solar and storage sector already supports nearly 19,000 jobs across the state, many of them in distributed solar. These are pathways to the middle class, strengthened by prevailing wage requirements and apprenticeship standards that ensure workers are trained, protected, and fairly compensated.
From a fiscal standpoint, the case is just as compelling. NY-Sun is a catalyst for private investment. For every dollar the state invests, an additional $5 to $6 in private capital is leveraged. That multiplier effect means infrastructure gets built faster, with less burden on taxpayers.
Moreover, increased state funding can reduce reliance on ratepayer-backed financing, helping to protect New Yorkers from rising utility costs. It can also position the state to capture additional federal funding, further lowering the cost of projects already in the pipeline.
In short, NY-Sun is exactly the kind of program policymakers should want more of: efficient, scalable, equitable, and economically smart.
That’s why a $3 billion commitment to the Sustainable Future Fund is so critical and why dedicating $500 million of that to NY-Sun is a strategic necessity. We can support roughly 2 gigawatts of new solar capacity, built under strong labor standards.
New York has never lacked for ambition. The challenge now is execution. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel; we need to invest in what’s already working.
If lawmakers want to accelerate the clean energy transition, strengthen the middle class, and deliver real benefits to communities across the state, the answer is right in front of them.
Fund the Sustainable Future Fund, invest in NY-Sun, and let’s build a future that works for everyone.
Vinny Albanese, NYS Laborers
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