NYSEIA News

ALBANY, NY, March 30 – With solar thermal projects now eligible for Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) funding for the first time and a roadmap for growing the technology nearing completion, New York is moving toward leading the nation in this technology, says New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA).

After years of lobbying for its inclusion in the RPS, the state Public Service Commission (PSC) has agreed to put nearly $25 million in funding toward solar thermal technologies that use the power of the sun to heat homes and hot water through 2115.

NYSEIA had urged the PSC to include solar thermal as an eligible technology to receive RPS funding from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). New York now joins 13 other states to include solar thermal in RPS programs.

“This is a landmark move that realizes the substantial benefits that solar thermal can provide to the New York economy and its renewable energy goals,” said NYSEIA President Ron Kamen, senior vice president of EarthKind Solar.

“Including solar thermal in the RPS and providing a five-year program will jump start New York’s solar thermal industry,” said NYSEIA Executive Director Gail Markels. “The PSC decision provides a critical base for the first part of a three-legged state energy platform that needs to next address electric gas and oil programs.”

The solar thermal segment will be further propelled by a new Solar Thermal Roadmap under development that aims to deploy 2,000 MWs of solar thermal in New York by 2020 and create 10,000 jobs. The plan will be unveiled by theSolar Thermal Consortium at the association’s annual conference, The Business of the Sun, in Albany on May 13.

About NYSEIA
The New York Solar Energy Industries Association, founded in 1994, is the only statewide non-profit membership and trade association dedicated solely to advancing solar energy use in New York State. For information, visit http://www.nyseia.org

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Last changed: Apr 06 2010