Comptroller Commends NYC Mayor and DEP Commissioner on Inclusion of Public Solar in PlaNYC

New York, NY – Today, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander applauds New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Chief Climate Officer Rohit Aggarwala on the inclusion of the Comptroller’s proposed Public Solar NYC in PlaNYC, as part of the City’s broader effort to confront the climate crisis.

Comptroller Lander released the following statement:

“New York City must take bold climate action to dramatically scale up our transition to renewable energy. Public Solar NYC will accelerate solar adoption across the city, make it accessible to all homeowners, create good green jobs, and include renewable power as part of our public infrastructure. I’m delighted by its inclusion in PlaNYC, and we look forward to working with Mayor Adams and Chief Climate Officer Aggarwala to make it a reality.

“As the office’s recently updated NYC Climate Dashboard shows, 89% of New York City’s power currently comes from burning fossil fuels. Our skyline’s abundant rooftops are one key to changing that, but solar adoption in New York City has been far too slow.

“My office’s proposed Public Solar NYC is an innovative approach that will provide robust door-to-door outreach, financial and technical assistance, and a public option for City-owned solar on private rooftops. This program will make rooftop solar accessible to low- and moderate-income homeowners who face high energy costs but do not have the capital to install solar, while creating thousands of good, green jobs.

“The Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act will provide the resources for a pilot round of Public Solar NYC for 3,000 homes. After proof-of-concept, the aim is to dramatically scale the program up across the city’s rooftops with a municipal finance approach developed by our office.

“PlaNYC also takes critical steps toward aligning the City’s budget process with climate goals, improving air quality in communities of color most adversely impacted by climate change and pollution, and making our neighborhoods more resilient to the intense storms and extreme heat that climate change is already bringing.

“We were proud to announce the Net Zero Implementation Plan for three of the City’s pension funds earlier this month, in partnership with the Adams Administration, making New York City a leader in the path to decarbonizing our quarter-trillion dollars of investments in the global economy.

“A low-carbon future is on the horizon, but the climate crisis is already here. New York City can and must be a leader in reducing our emissions to zero, making the transition to a clean energy economy, and building a resilient city for all New Yorkers.”

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