Harnessing the power of the sun creates local jobs, improves air quality, and stabilizes volatile energy costs. The solar energy potential for New York State is greater than Germany, the current world leader in installed solar capacity. For too long, short-sighted energy policies have shackled ratepayers to expensive and dirty fossil fuels. NYS trails other states and nations in installing clean, local, and sustainable solar energy. Last year, New Jersey installed seven times more solar than New York. The Governor and Legislature must adopt a strong solar energy policy now.

Solar Helps New Yorkers Breathe Easier

Electricity generated from solar creates zero harmful pollution to our air and water. The more solar energy generated in NYS means the less dirty, polluting fossil fuels will be used to meet our demand. Reliance on fossil fuels adversely impacts public health, specifically:

• Over 65% of New Yorkers live in counties where air pollution endangers lives.
• Annually, fossil fuel emissions cause 1,200 premature deaths and 25,000 heart attacks in NYS.
• Poor air quality triggers asthma attacks. Kids in the U.S. miss 14 million days of school annually due to asthma—the leading cause of school absenteeism due to a chronic illness in the nation.

The New York Solar Bill

The NY Solar Bill would extend the popular NY-Sun Initiative for 10 years, provide enough solar energy to power 400,000 New York homes, create thousands of jobs, save New Yorkers billions by reducing the need to fire up our dirtiest and most expensive power plants, and will spur millions of dollars of investment in the state's growing clean energy economy.

Passage of this important legislation will make New York a national leader in solar! The NY Solar Bill has already passed the NY Senate unanimously. We now need the Assembly to act and pass this bill! The Assembly must act soon, as the legislative session is scheduled to end in June.

How you can help:
Sign the online petition for the NY Solar Bill today!

Victory!! Long Island Solar Farm (LISF)

A joint project between BP Solar, LIPA, BNL, and the U.S. Department of Energy, the 32MW solar farm provided hundreds of construction jobs. The project is the largest solar farm on the east coast and will provide enough energy to power 4,500 homes on Long Island. This project is an exciting example of how a promising clean energy technology of the future becomes today's reality. This transformational project truly begins to leave fossil fuels as a remnant of our polluting past and begins a new legacy for clean, safe, sustainable energy. CCE is proud to have supported this landmark project.

Read the article (and watch video), "Long Island Solar Farm Largest in State History". CCE Executive Director Adrienne Esposito narrates the BP Solar video on the Long Island Solar Farm.

 

Updated by bsmith 5/30/13