On January 9th, 2026, NYSEIA submitted comments on New York’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) Operating Plan Amendment for 2026. The Operating Plan details funding allocations to several programs that aim to make the clean energy transition more affordable. NYSEIA appreciates the commitment to advancing affordability and equity in this transition, but notes that the Plan largely excludes solar and energy storage in its funding allocations– even though the technologies have proven to be a direct pathway to lowering ratepayer bills. 

Programmatic investments in solar have faced major cuts from both the State and Federal government. The PSC rescinded $271 million of NY-Sun funding and the U.S. EPA cut $249 million from the Solar for All program for New York. Due to these drawbacks, NYSEIA encourages New York to invest a meaningful share of RGGI proceeds to strengthen NY-Sun and accelerate energy storage deployment,  keeping distributed solar and storage accessible, driving progress towards the State’s decarbonization goals, and delivering affordable rates to all New Yorkers.  

NYSEIA also expressed concern in the comments that the Plan does not direct new funding for energy storage, especially in Long Island– a region with some of the highest electricity prices that remains heavily reliant on aging fossil fuel peaker plants. The region is also the only major utility service area without a retail battery energy storage system (BESS) incentive program. RGGI funds could bridge this gap with a portion of its proceeds, and NYSERDA could help animate a market for retail BESS in one of the State’s most congested and polluted regions.

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