Lt. Governor Brian Benjamin celebrates New York's community solar leadership and growth.

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced New York has become the top community solar market in the United States with more than one gigawatt of community solar installed and operational—enough to serve 209,000 homes across the state. New York also has the largest pipeline in the nation with enough community solar under construction to serve an additional 401,000 homes, ensuring continued access to clean affordable solar for all New Yorkers for years to come. Today's announcement accelerates progress towards meeting the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) goal to generate 70 percent of the state's electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and the governor's goal to achieve 10 gigawatts of solar by 2030.

"Reaching this nation-leading milestone—with more than one gigawatt of community solar installed - is a testament to New York's aggressive pursuit of clean-energy alternatives that will supercharge our economy and bring us one step closer to a carbon-neutral future," Governor Hochul said. "New York is once again making clean energy history, and with many families facing the burden of rising energy costs, my administration remains committed to expanding access to solar energy, which will deliver savings and stabilize electricity bills while meeting our aggressive climate goals."

Executive Director of New York Solar Energy Industries Association Zack Dufresne said, "NYSEIA applauds New York State for becoming the national leader in community solar last year, and the solar industry is proud to support this accomplishment. It's awesome to see New York's community solar market continue to evolve, bringing greater access to New York customers who want to participate in the clean energy transition. NYSEIA and its member companies look forward to working with state officials, utilities, and other stakeholders to ensure not only future growth of the community solar market, but also that the promises of community solar are fulfilled, including improved access for low-income customers and disadvantaged communities. With a robust slate of community solar projects in development, it is more important than ever for New York to continue to address the needs of this key market segment."