In their second year of partnership, NYSEIA and Sustainable CUNY once again achieved record-breaking attendance at the Manhattan-based on June 27th.
For a second year of partnership, the New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA) and Sustainable CUNY co-hosted the 2024 NYC Solar + Storage Summit on June 27th at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater of John Jay College. The teams amassed a record-breaking 700+ attendees, including hundreds of solar professionals from public and private sectors, city finance and real estate leaders, and other solar-curious members of the public.
The summit focused on New York City’s efforts to reduce fossil fuel reliance amid rising electricity consumption. As the city adopts building electrification and large-scale renewable energy, scaling up distributed solar and storage is vital. Discussions covered building electrification, large-scale renewables, and energy storage, highlighting ongoing efforts to define a sustainable pathway. Policymakers, business leaders, and practitioners shared insights and strategies, driving progress toward NYC’s clean energy goals.
Mohamed Attalla, Vice Chancellor of Facilities Planning, Construction and Management at City University of New York (CUNY), and NYSEIA Board President, Dan Montante, welcomed attendees and gave opening remarks on behalf of their teams. The first panel of the day, “Decarbonizing NYC: Building the Grid of the Future Today,” set the stage for a day of insightful discussions. Moderated by Tria Case from Sustainable CUNY, the panel featured experts such as Rory Christian from the New York Public Service Commission, Doreen Harris from NYSERDA, Justin Driscoll from NYPA, and Matthew Ketschke from Con Edison. The conversation focused on the anticipated massive growth in electricity demand driven by electrification in NYC, where the current power supply is heavily reliant on in-city fossil fuel generators. The panelists discussed how New York’s agencies, utilities, and regulators are making strides in meeting this load growth while simultaneously working to reduce the city’s dependence on fossil fuels.
The next panel, moderated by Jonathan Cohen, NYSEIA's Policy Director, delved into the dramatic transformation of NYC’s solar market over the last decade. The discussion highlighted key drivers behind this growth, including high electricity rates, the implementation of Local Law 97, and the recent expansion of the NYC Solar + Storage Property Tax Abatement. The panel brought together policy experts and local solar industry leaders for a discussion about the current state of NYC’s solar market. They explored the various challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, providing insights into the policies and market dynamics that are shaping the future of solar energy in the city. Industry representatives from leading organizations and government entities discussed the factors contributing to this growth and emphasized the importance of continued support and innovation to maintain momentum and continue to integrate solar energy into New York’s clean energy landscape.
After a quick networking break, the summit reconvened to discuss NYC’s booming energy storage market. With over one gigawatt of projects in the interconnection queue and hundreds of megawatts in advanced development stages, the city is responding to strong price signals from Con Edison’s Value of Distributed Energy Resources (VDER) tariff, NYSERDA’s 6 GW Energy Storage Roadmap, and a recent zoning text amendment easing storage permitting. Panelists discussed the urgent need for effective policies and programs to overcome regulatory and financial barriers, emphasizing the role of energy storage in achieving NYC’s clean energy goals.
Noah Ginsburg, Executive Director of NYSEIA, presented the newly released “20 Gigawatts by 2035” campaign at a briefing during the summit. This initiative aims to double New York’s distributed solar goal, leveraging the success of rooftop and community solar, which currently powers nearly six gigawatts—enough for one million homes. With challenges in utility-scale projects, decentralized solar solutions are crucial for meeting New York’s ambitious clean energy mandates under the CLCPA. The campaign proposes policy interventions to address barriers and maximize economic and environmental benefits. This represents an exciting leap forward in New York's pursuit of sustainable energy solutions!
Following the lunch break, sponsored by Greentech Renewables, the summit continued with a panel on “Decarbonization Pathways for LL97 Compliance”. Moderated by Richard Yancey from the Building Energy Exchange, this session featured insights from leaders across the Mayor’s Office, NYC Department of Buildings, real estate, and clean energy sectors. As 2024 marks the first compliance year for LL97, the climate law which regulates carbon emissions for large buildings, the discussion focused on how these buildings are meeting the new requirements. Throughout the discussion, panelists shared strategies for effectively reducing emissions costs through energy efficiency, electrification, and distributed solar + storage, offering valuable perspectives on the challenges and successes of adhering to LL97.
The “City and State: Aligning Policies to Achieve CLCPA Progress” panel brought together senior leaders from the Mayor’s and Governor’s offices, moderated by Dale Bryk from the Regional Plan Association. This discussion centered on how NYC’s electric grid decarbonization is essential for meeting the CLCPA’s goal of 70% renewable electricity by 2030. Panelists shared thoughts on aligning policies, programs, and strategic investments to support these goals, highlighting the critical collaboration between city and state governments. “Energy Storage Safety: Evolving Technology and Regulations”, moderated by David Sandbank from NYSERDA, featured experts from EPRI, DNV, and ESRG. This session focused on how safety regulations for battery energy storage have evolved, shaping industry practices and product offerings. Key developments and innovations which enhance product safety were discussed, bringing attention to the importance of proper design and installation of energy storage systems in urban environments like NYC.
The panel on “Incentives and Financing for Solar + Storage” explored unprecedented opportunities created by the Inflation Reduction Act for property owners and clean energy developers. Federal resources, alongside state and local programs in New York City, are pivotal in facilitating clean energy upgrades. In April 2024, the EPA announced $27 billion in grants earmarked for green banks and low-income solar initiatives like Solar for All. Moderated by Max Joel from NYSERDA, the discussion featured insights from industry leaders such as Kelsey Clair from New York Green Bank, Anum Chandani from CleanCapital, Rob Crauderueff from Crauderueff Solar, and Rob Parker from Crux Climate. They discussed how these new investments will support clean energy deployment, highlighted necessary changes and guidance for optimizing program impact, and outlined strategies for developers and property owners to effectively access these resources.
The summit’s final sessions tackled pivotal aspects of New York City's clean energy future. Led by Lauren Anderson from CUNY Clean Energy Workforce Training, the “Building NYC’s Clean Energy Workforce” panel addressed the urgent need to train a substantial workforce to support NYC’s decarbonization efforts. Plans to train 400,000 “green collar” workers by 2040 are underway, with a focus on inclusivity for environmentally disadvantaged communities. The discussion explored challenges and opportunities in retraining existing workers and preparing new entrants for careers in the evolving clean energy sector. The last session of the day, moderated by Carrie Gallagher from DPS - Long Island, focused on the role of smart electrification and Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) in addressing NYC’s growing electricity demand. With electrification driving increased load for the first time in decades, the panel discussed VPPs as cost-effective and flexible solutions to expand the city’s energy capacity. Experts from utility companies and clean energy technology firms shared insights on current VPP deployments and the necessary policies, programs, and technologies to scale up these innovations.
To end the productive day, attendees and staff came together for Happy Hour, sponsored by Brooklyn SolarWorks and Harris Beach. Sustainable CUNY and NYSEIA would like to thank all of our sponsors and exhibitors for their contributions to making this event possible! Thanks to the generous contributions of our sponsors and the dedicated efforts of the teams at Sustainable CUNY and NYSEIA, the return of the 2024 NYC Solar + Storage Summit was resounding success!
Comments