NYSERDA is currently developing the on-bill financing program, which will available to the public in 2012. In the meantime, you can access the NYSERDA Green Jobs Green NY programs for audits and financing.

Want to know more? 

Chances are, unless you read our newsletter very carefully, you haven’t heard of on-bill financing. The concept was included in the Power NY Act of 2011 signed into law by Governor Cuomo in early August, and NYSERDA is currently evaluating how to implement an on-bill financing program, but it has received sparse coverage in the media.

Nonetheless, on-bill financing is something you should know about. It is one of the most significant energy-related laws to pass in recent years. In a Sept. 27 speech in Albany, Former President Bill Clinton touted the bill saying, “This on-bill financing is a very big deal that I think every region should maximize.”

So, what is it and what’s the big deal?

At its simplest, on-bill financing is a way for New Yorkers to pay for energy-efficiency improvements of their homes or businesses through a charge on their monthly utility bills (hence “on-bill” financing). What makes it so exciting is that it’s an easy system to navigate, allowing wide-scale participation, and the improvement work is paid for by the energy savings that it creates. That means you don’t have to put down any money up front and you probably won’t see your utility bill rise.

How can you take advantage of on-bill financing?

The on-bill system won’t be rolled out until next year, and the details are still being finalized by NYSERDA. To get an idea of how it might work, however, we can take a look at NYSERDA’s current programs and see where on-bill financing fits in.

Let’s say you’re a homeowner. You might be interested in making some efficiency improvements around your house to save money on your utility bills, for example if you replaced all your incandescent bulbs with CFLs or upgraded to a new boiler. But how would you know how much you would you save?

If your household income is less than $124,600 per year, you currently qualify for a free assessment of your home’s energy performance through the Green Jobs/Green New York program. A contractor will come to your home and examine the energy efficiency of everything inside, including your lighting, appliances, insulation, boiler and other heating/cooling systems. The contractor will then provide you a list of recommendations for efficiency improvements you could make, along with the amount of money you would save with each one.

To apply for this evaluation, also called an energy audit, simply fill out this form and send it to the address in the bottom left corner. If you qualify, you will receiver a reservation number. Bring this number to a BPI-certified contractor who participates the program, and the contractor will arrange your free assessment. You can find a participating contractor near you here.

Once you receive the list of energy efficiency recommendations from the contractor, it’s up to you which, if any, of the suggestions you decided to implement. They will be listed in descending order of the amount of time it will take for the savings on your utility bill to pay back the cost of doing the work. At the top, you might see changes to your lighting, which often offers the quickest payback. At the bottom, you might see replacing windows, which generally has the slowest payback.

If you decide to follow through on some of the recommendations, NYSERDA already offers several ways to help pay for them. The first step is to go over the improvements you want to make with a participating contractor. It could be the same contractor who performed your energy assessment, or you could find a different contractor who participates. Once you have decided on your contractor, you will work with him or her to develop a “Scope of Work” document, which describes the improvements you will make and their projected energy savings. NYSERDA will review this, and, if approved, you can explore the financing options.

You could be eligible to receive 10% cash back up to $3,000 through the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR^® program. But even if you qualify, you might need to take out a loan to help pay for the work. Currently, NYSERDA offers low-interest loans of up to $25,000 per homeowner through Green Jobs/Green New York program. You can even apply online.

This is where on-bill financing will fit in. Although the details are still getting worked out, the idea is this: instead of taking out a traditional loan to pay for the work and then paying it back in installments, you would instead pay no money up front and pay for the work via a charge on your utility bill. The law requires this charge to be less than the projected average monthly savings that come from the energy efficiency upgrades. This means that you probably won’t notice any change in the amount you’re paying. As long as your usage remains the same, the efficiency savings will pay for the work you had done. Once the work is paid off, the savings will be even greater.

One of the reasons many people hold off on upgrading the efficiency of their home is that they don’t know how long they will live there. If you have doubts about whether you will live in a house long enough for efficiency savings to pay for the work you had done, you might hesitate to make the investment. With on-bill fiancning, you won’t have to worry. The charge applied to your utility bill through on-bill financing remains attached to the property, even after it is sold. That way, you can start enjoying the savings immediately without wondering whether you’ll stick around long enough for them to payoff completely.

If you own a business or run a non-profit, the mechanism will be similar. As with current NYSERDA incentives and financing options for businesses, they will likely be different than those offered to homeowners. For assistance with the different programs, contact your area’s NYSERDA Energy $mart Communities Coordinator (for Manhattan and Staten Island, contact Solar One at 212-785-0734, for other areas of New York State refer to the Energy $mart Communities website).

We will be discussing on-bill financing more in the coming weeks, so check back regularly for updates.

Photo Credit: © All rights reserved by Governor Andrew Cuomo

Taken together, these upgraded technologies are known as the smart grid. In August, the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), the non-profit organization that manages New York’s electricity grid and administers the state’s wholesale electricity markets, unveiled a $74 million initiative to upgrade New York’s electricity grid with new smart grid technologies.

Backed by more than $37 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, these technologies will improve the efficiency of the state’s bulk transmission system and improve grid operators’ visualization capabilities and situational awareness. NYISO also held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new $35.5 million primary power control center in Rensselaer County.

What does it all mean?

New Yorkers will save money. New capacitor banks will reduce electricity costs in New York State approximately $9 million per year by reducing the amount of electricity that is lost when carried over long distances on the bulk transmission system. All told, the upgrades will provide New York with approximately $190 million in annual savings.

Power reliability will improve. New phaser measurement units will improve NYISO’s ability to receive, process and monitor changing conditions, which it does on a moment-to-moment basis, 24 hours per day. Ultimately, NYISO hopes to integrate its smart grid with others across the Northeast and Canada, which could help avoid potential outages, such as the 2003 blackout.

Renewable energy will get a boost. The smart grid upgrades and new power control center will aid the integration of renewable energy supplies, such as solar and wind, into the power supply.

To learn more, visit the NYISO website, read its press release or check out the NYS Smart Grid Consortium overview.

New energy efficiency legislation that will drastically impact your building is fast approaching and you don’t want to be caught unprepared.  Join us for an interactive session with leaders in the field of energy efficiency.  Learn how you can take advantage of these required changes, and benefit from cost saving measures.  You will also hear about all of the potential funding and financing opportunities available to help with project costs.

June 17, 2010, 6:00-8:00pm,

followed by networking a reception

Sony Wonder Technology Lab Auditorium

550 Madison Ave (at 56th St.)

PANELISTS

Representative from the City of New York:  NYC Green Building Codes

Kate Grossman, Greenwich Energy Solutions:  Energy Audits and Qualifying Buildings

Brett Greenberg, Bovis Lend Lease:  Implementing Energy Efficiency Measures

David Gibson, Lutron:  Advanced Lighting Technologies

Cliff Schorer, Greenwich Energy Solutions: Financing Options

Diana Pangestu, Solar One:  NYSERDA Incentives and Case Study

Seminar Cost:  $25

To register, click on the following link:

The Greener Greater Buildings Plan, New York City’s green building legislation, was passed in December 9, 2009.  Solar One, in partnership with NYSERDA,  the City of New York, the Alliance for Downtown New York,  the New York Academy of Sciences, and the New York Building Congress, bring to you the first of a series of workshops to better explain this legislation to the audience it affects – commercial building owners and managers.  In addition to legislation, we will present an overview of the NYSERDA incentives available to commercial buildings that will help offset the costs for energy efficiency upgrades.

Green Within Reach, hosted by the Alliance for Downtown New York, will take place on April 15 from 8:00-11:00am at The New York Academy of Sciences.  While we expect a large amount of interest, we especially invite those who are decision-makers over commercial buildings in the downtown area to attend.

The New York Academy of Sciences
Seven World Trade Center
250 Greenwich Street, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10007

Event will feature presentations by NYSERDA and the City of New York. Opening remarks by Department of Buildings Commissioner Robert M. LiMandri.

Agenda
8:00am Breakfast & Networking
8:30am Welcome & Introductions
9:00am Program Begins
10:30am Q&A

EVENT IS FREE. SPACE IS LIMITED.
RSVP here by April 12.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Hewitt at ehewitt@downtownny.com .

On July 10-12, 2009, Citysol, a celebration of urban sustainability and creativity in a mini music and arts festival, returns to Solar One. And what a time we shall have!

At Citysol 2009, acts will perform under a solar tent by Eco-Pioneer, who will also be providing site design with solar tents, a tiki lounge and bar and bike area. Installation art and exhibits will be created in a Habitat for Artists, a temporary, recycled-and-recyclable shed as art studio where Habitat creator Simon Draper (and other artists of his choosing) will create pieces to display during the festival. The Habitats are personal/public spaces that can make art more approachable and at the same time encourage more community awareness of and involvement in the creative process. Watching old artworks and other discarded scraps transformed into a free space for ideas to manifest in a city where space is so controlled is exactly the kind of experience Citysol seeks to offer its audience.

FRIDAY JULY 10 at 6 PM: Citysol Party for a Solar-Powered NY
6:30 PM— “Mr. Lower East Side” Moonshine Shorey- Beautiful human being and spoken word god brings his band Jen & the Moon to the party.
7:00 PM — The Alien Comic- Legendary downtown one-man recycling circus.
8:00 PM — DJs from Home Base Collective- Dance dance dance.
PLUS Solar Racecar Design Competition. Join the I Heart PV campaign and get a drink on us!

SATURDAY JULY 11 at 12 PM: Live Music Day Co-Curated by Digiwaxx
12:45 PM — Lower East Side alterna-duo Schwervon!
1:45 PM — Electronica dreamscapers Love Like Deloreans
2:45 PM — Hip-hop/soul artiste Outasight
3:45 PM — Repeat offender/harmonium virtuoso Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers
4:45 PM — Brooklyn punk brothers So So Glos
5:15 PM — The Fabulous Ihsan
5:30PM— Turntable prodigy DJ Spinna
6:00PM— Hip-hop activists Dead Prez
6:30 PM— Underground hero Saigon
6:45PM— Fashion, dance and rap triple threat O’Neal McKnight
7:15 PM — Experimental sextet Hi Red Center
8:15 PM — Teen instrumental sensation Fiasco

SUNDAY JULY 12 at 11AM : Kids of All Ages Day
11:30 PM — Rachel Trachtenburg’s Homemade World with the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players
12:30 PM — Just Food- Learn the ancient art of fruit canning!
1:30 PM — Solar One- Check out the Solar One bike blender project, buy a bike-blended smoothie and learn about bike mechanics!
2:30 PM — The Madagascar Institute- Make your own generator; you have the power!
3:30 PM — Band of Bicycles- Bicycle-powered spin art for kids of all ages.

4:30 PM — Wide Open Eco-Pet Fashion Show- Dress up your pet in an eco-extravagant costume to die for! Use found, reclaimed, reused and recycled materials to show off your creativity and your pet’s fabulousness! Win a Big Blue Ribbon! Hosted by performance elf Reverend Jen!

For more information/links to participant’s sites, visit www.citysol.org/2009/index.html.

Visit our sponsors and partners: Brooklyn Brewery, Rabbit Mafia, Digiwaxx, EcoArtspace

Last but not least:
Bring your own cup and get a discount on beer.
Reuse the cup we give you and get a (smaller) discount on beer.
Because sustainable should never mean thirsty.

SUNDAY JULY 12 at 11AM : Kids of All Ages Day
11:30 PM — Rachel Trachtenburg’s Homemade World with the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players
12:30 PM — Just Food- Learn the ancient art of fruit canning!
1:30 PM — Solar One- Check out the Solar One bike blender project, buy a bike-blended smoothie and learn about bike mechanics!
2:30 PM — The Madagascar Institute- Make your own generator; you have the power!
3:30 PM — Band of Bicycles- Bicycle-powered spin art for kids of all ages.

4:30 PM — Wide Open Eco-Pet Fashion Show- Dress up your pet in an eco-extravagant costume to die for! Use found, reclaimed, reused and recycled materials to show off your creativity and your pet’s fabulousness! Win a Big Blue Ribbon! Hosted by performance elf Reverend Jen!

Lots of stuff for kids to do, plus workshops and panel discussions for the grownups. Make crafts, check out the BioBus, a solar-and-wind powered laboratory on wheels, build a hand-crank alternator and learn about how electricity works, and many more! Plus hang out under Eco-Pioneers Solar Tent and chill at the Tiki Bar!

Bring your own cup and get beers for $2 off the regular price! Reuse the cup we give you, and it’s $1 off!

Write a letter for our I Heart PV campaign to increase solar energy generation in New York State and have a beer on us. Check out http://iheartpv.org for more info.

FRIDAY JULY 10 at 6 PM: Citysol Party for a Solar-Powered NY
6:30 PM— “Mr. Lower East Side” Moonshine Shorey- Beautiful human being and spoken word god brings his band Jen & the Moon to the party.
7:00 PM — The Alien Comic- Legendary downtown one-man recycling circus.
8:00 PM — DJs from Home Base Collective- Dance dance dance.
PLUS Solar Racecar Design Competition. Join the I Heart PV campaign and get a drink on us!

This evening of performance art, spoken word and dancing will culminate in the I Heart PV campaign’s Party for a Solar-Powered NY. Talk to a solar installer, write a letter to your legislator asking for stronger solar energy policy, design, and enter a solar racecar in our design competition and win a Big Blue Ribbon!

Bring your own cup and get beers for $2 off the regular price! Reuse the cup we give you, and it’s $1 off!

Write a letter for our I Heart PV campaign to increase solar energy generation in New York State and have a beer on us. Check out http://iheartpv.org for more info.

Sometime in the near future, you won’t even need to think twice about frying up that prize striper you hooked out of the Hudson.

After twenty-five years of court appeals and other evasive measures employed by General Electric, the first of what will be many scoops of PCB-laden sludge was dredged from the Hudson River this past Friday as the result of a “good-faith” agreement with the EPA.  The massive effort, only Phase One of the project, is expected to require the around-the-clock operation of twelve dredges six days a week through 2015; assuming this phase runs its course, this would equal 48,672 hours for the removal of sediment that has been accumulating since the end of the Wisconsin glaciation period around 12,000 years ago, but took two GE plants and other chemical facilities only thirty years to contaminate.  The dried sludge will then be trucked to a landfill in Texas, while the river water will be pumped through a filtration plant and returned to continue its meandering course.

Nearly 200 miles of the river from Hudson Falls to the tip of Manhattan, just under two-thirds of the Hudson’s total length, was declared a Superfund site in 1984, and though GE has now adopted a veneer of compliance, it also continues to challenge the constitutionality of the legislation – the 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) -that determines Superfund status and culpability.  As part of the agreement, GE has also given itself an out clause – it will review the status of the project in 2010 and can then decide to opt out.  The total cost of this phase is estimated at $750 million but could be much greater, though GE has declined to provide an estimate, a decision that, compounded by these other compromises, does little to alleviate the pervasive skepticism within the environmental community.

Still, the fact that the clean-up project is now more than simply a contentious point of debate is cause for at least tepid celebration.  I imagine most of those keeping a close eye on this will remain patient until the 2010 review process is complete before any claims of restitution will finally be made.  Meanwhile, for the past quarter century, those PCBs and their fellow contaminants have been just sitting there in the river bottom ooze, waiting for the party responsible to own up and make that first move.

Sources: “Dredging of Pollutants Begins in Hudson”, The New York Times, May 15, 2009;“”Reclaiming a River”, The New York Times, May 16, 2009; “Shaking Off “Man’s Taint, Hudson Pulses With Life”, The New York Times, June 9, 1996; “What was the Wisconsin Glaciation?” Wisegeek.com;“25-Year-Old Hudson River Cleanup Plan Starts Today”, Running Scared (blogs.villagevoice.com), May 15, 2009; “Pollution and the Hudson River”, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies (www.ecostudies.org); Hudson River Sloop Clearwater (www.clearwater.org).

GETTING TO Sycamore Flower Shop + Bar.

1118 Cortelyou Road, Brooklyn. MAP

TRAIN – Q to Cortelyou. The bar is 4 blocks to the west of the subway station exit, on the same street (Cortelyou)

TAKE A LOOK at a slide show of pictures from last month’s party at Southpaw on Flickr.

CONTACT: Chris Neidl, Neidl@solar1.org, 212 505 6050

SPECIAL LOCATION: The Park Slope Food Coop, 782 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (DIRECTIONS)

Photovoltaic technology (“PV”) converts sunlight into electricity. Believe it or not, the Big Apple is one of the most viable and promising locations for solar power in the entire country. Join I Heart PV campagin advocae and coop member Margo Bettencourt, and campaign coordinator Chris Neidl to hear the arguments in support of this claim and discuss current attempts to establish New York as a leader in solar adoption.

Launched by Solar One in 2008, I Heart PV is a people-powered campaign that mobilizes citizen support for pro-solar policies and educates New Yorkers about the potential and benefits of solar power here in the Five Boroughs.

FREE and OPEN TO NON-MEMBERS.

Political proclamations and big gusts of wind often go together.

This paradigm of civic symbiosis was never more true than last Tuesday, when Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announced plans to markedly boost his commonwealth’s wind power capacity by 2020.  While Massachusetts currently produces just 7 MW of wind-generated energy annually, Patrick hopes to ramp up production to 2000 MW – enough to power 800,000 homes and 10% of overall anticipated need – by the end of the next decade.  The ambitious policy will supplement his administration’s recent commitment of 250 MW of solar power by 2017.

The announcement also comes on the heels of the DOE’s 2007 decision to locate one of two planned Wind Technology Testing Centers there, spurring speculation that Massachusetts could join California as a leader in forging a green economy.  In a statement issued by Governor Patrick’s office, the new center will provide a framework for the “economic rewards of technological development, entrepreneurship and jobs.” Assuming an even greater commitment to clean energy policy at the federal level by the incoming Obama administration and new DOE honcho Steven Chu, this is a trend that should continue.

Though some hurdles remain in getting locals on board (one proposed Cape Cod offshore wind farm comes to mind), Massachusetts Secretary for Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles noted that last year’s incentive-laden Mass. Green Communities Act has “municipalities around the Commonwealth… lining up to bring wind power to their communities.”  In part to alleviate concerns about the blight of turbines on the seascape, the state is also formulating a comprehensive ocean-management plan to identify other suitable locations for “appropriate-scale renewable energy facilities.”

The initiative is part of a broader attempt to reduce the commonwealth’s greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 and 25% by 2020, as mandated by the 2007 Massachusetts Global Warming Solutions Act.

Sources: “Patrick sets 2000-MW wind-power goal”, Providence Business News; “Deval Patrick unveils big push for wind power”, Your Industry News; “Residents upset over Cape Cod wind-farm plan”, www.sfgate.com; “Massachusetts Moves Closer to Having Nation’s First Offshore Wind Farm and More Secure Energy Future” (press release; Jan. 16, 2009), www.capewind.org; “”Summary of S. 2768, The Green Communities Act”, Conservation Law Foundation; “Senate Bill, No. 534″, “Governor Patrick Sets New Goals for Wind Power” (press release; Jan. 13, 2009), www.mass.gov.

In a surprise move that has potentially seismic ramifications for the energy industry, the EPA issued a ruling last Friday that will essentially halt the development of any new coal-based power plants in the United States. The ruling was issued by the agency’s appeals panel as they denied a permit to Deseret Power, an energy conglomerate looking to build a 110 MW coal-burning power plant on the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation in Utah. As a result, more than one hundred other plants in various stages of development and construction now face an uncertain future.

Claiming that they would no longer grant permits for projects that do not adequately consider the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, the appeals board overturned a permit recently granted by the agency’s Denver office and cited a 2007 Supreme Court decision giving the EPA federal authority to regulate CO2 emissions. The decision, Massachusetts v. EPA, ruled 5-4 in favor of 12 state plaintiffs that the agency had shirked its responsibilities under the Clean Air Act and was widely perceived as a critique of the current administration’s environmental policies.

Environmentalists have hailed the new move as a harbinger of a green-friendly administration-in-waiting, though many are surprised that it has come under the aegis of a lame duck and environmentally obstinate commander-in-chief. Ultimately, whether this decision signals a belated acknowledgement of accepted scientific fact or a raise-of-the-white-flag by defeated leadership is less significant than the implication that, however we choose to meet our future energy needs, clean and renewable sources should finally get their chance.

Sources: PSD Appeal No. 07-03, Environmental Appeals Board, United States Environmental Protection Agency;“EPA ruling over climate jeopardizes coal plants”, Reuters; “EPA Blocks Coal Plant, Could Change Power Landscape”, The Huffington Post (Nov. 14, 2008);“EPA Coal Decision Levels Playing Field for Wind, Solar”, Wired Science; “EPA Coal Decision Could Pave Way for Renewable Energy”, EcoGeek; “EPA ruling halts all new coal-fired power plants”, Scientific American; “Massachusetts, et al. v. Environmental Protection Agency, et al.”, Supreme Court of the United States, #05-1120; “Supreme Court: Heat-Trapping Carbon Dioxide is Pollution”, National Resources Defense Council (press release); “Justices say EPA Has Power to Act on Harmful Gases”, The New York Times (April 3, 2007).

The financial rescue package, however, offered one last chance to get the extension passed before the end of the year.  Regardless of your sentiments on the “pork” attached to the final bill, the inclusion of these incentives is a lot more palatable than some of the other special favors that found their way in.   The total package includes somewhere in vicinity of $17-$18 billion in tax credits for power generated by solar, wind and other renewable sources through 2016.  It looks like the coal industry managed to get a piece of the action as well, but in the spirit of compromise, we’ll overlook that little tidbit for now.  What’s important is that the incentives make renewables more readily able to compete on cost with traditional (i.e. dirty) sources of energy.  One important change to note was the removal of the cap of $2,000 of incentives for residential projects.  This means that the cost of residential solar projects just got reduced even further.  When you combine these federal incentives with the already existing incentives at the state and local levels, the economics of solar really start to make sense for more and more customers.   ASES has a more complete rundown on the provisions – which also include elements covering energy efficient buildings and plug-in hybrids – on their website.

For more information on solar check out our PV resource page.  And the Power Naturally site can answer many of your questions about the process of buying and installing solar panels.

In the not-too-distant future, it looks like you’ll be able to handle your CFLs without worrying about the hazards of mercury.

While Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) have long been seen as a technology with significant potential to conserve electricity and reduce consumer energy costs, one of their main drawbacks has been public trepidation about exposure to this toxic element if a bulb happens to break. Now nanotechnology researchers may have developed a way to reduce this concern. According to an article in this week’s Science Times, experiments with microparticles of various elements including sulfur, copper, nickel and most notably selenium have demonstrated promising results when binding with mercury. Potential applications could weave “nanoselenium” into CFL packaging and special cloth with which to mop up breakage, even plastic bags for recycling spent or shattered bulbs.

This means one less reason not to make the switch to these spiral-shaped icons of energy efficiency. Anyway, you won’t have a choice beginning in 2012. As a consequence of last December’s energy bill, traditional incandescent bulbs will be phased out of use, beginning with the 100-watt bulb and ending with the 40-watt in 2014. This ensures that, while we may not necessarily know how bright the future will be, getting there will be a whole lot more efficient.

Participants in the “Urban Epiphyte” project went through their normal routines wearing live plants culled by CK from Prospect Park in tool belts and fanny packs, documenting reactions and interactions with other New Yorkers. In one instance, a crowd gathered to help as one plant fell to the subway platform. Chris himself noted that the people he encountered treated his plants with the care normally reserved for pets and that many kept discussing the incident afterward. Ultimately, those fortuitous witnesses were inclined to consider aspects of their environments that they normally take for granted in a new light. Isn’t that the whole point to quality art?

For everyone who has been wondering about what is happening at Solar One on July 4th, wonder no more. We will once again be working with Rooftop Films to sandwich some great music and short films around the (insert favorite sandwich filling) that are the Macy’s East River fireworks display. Once again we will offer a front row seat for the fireworks – word is we might even have a better view this year if that’s possible), plus great refreshments (some free from 5-7pm). Tickets are $30 and the proceeds go to support Solar One and Rooftop Films – two great non-profit organizations that (we hope) make New York City a more informed and more entertaining place to live. For full details and to purchase tickets, please head on over the the Rooftop Films site for the event.

The event will start at 5pm and everyone needs to be on site by 6pm in order to comply with NYPD rules that will have access blocked off after that time. Please note that in the case of inclement weather, our event will be happening as long as the fireworks are still happening. If the fireworks are moved to a different night (likely Saturday), we will honor all tickets. Otherwise, tickets are non-refundable.

If you have any questions, please call us at (212) 505-6050. Now here’s a photo from last year to whet your appetite.

On Monday June 16th, with only a week remaining until the end of the current legislative session, six members of the Manhattan Comprehensive Night and Day High School I Heart PV Street Team met with key leaders in Albany to make the case for solar energy in New York City and State. The group met with distinguished senators from throughout the state, including the Chair of the Senate Energy Committee, George Maziarz, and Senators Joseph Griffo and Michael Nozzolio.

The Albany expedition occurred as a result of Brooklyn Senator Eric Adams’ deep interest and appreciation for the I Heart PV project and the street team’s activities. After seeing the team in action last month at the Grand Army Plaza Green Market in his Brooklyn district, the senator invited them to join him for a fast-paced day of lobbying in Albany. I Heart PV warmly thanks him for his hard work, generosity and responsiveness to the campaign’s goals

The Senator and his wonderful office administrator Mary Harris arranged an amazing experience for the young members of the team that none of them will soon forget. In addition to meeting directly with Senators, during which time they were able to commend the officials for passing expanded net-metering legislation and the New York City Solar Property Tax Abatement as well as inquire about what the state might do next to help advance solar development, the group also appeared before a session of the Senate Minority Conference. After being formerly introduced by Senator Adams the group demonstrated their mobile solar charging unit and answered questions from curious senators, including Suzi Oppenheimer and and NYC’s own Velmanette Montgomery, Ruth Hassell-Thompson, and Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

Perhaps the team’s most exciting moment occurred at the end of the day when they met directly with Assembly Member Herman Farrell just one hour before he moved the Solar Property Tax Abatement bill (introduced by the Assembly Member himself) through the Ways and Means Committee, of which he is the chair. Team member Khaddy Ndiaye had the chance to directly relay to the Assembly Member the merits of the policy and why it should be considered a high priority during the last days of the session.

The street team has done an amazing job this spring reaching out to hundreds of New Yorkers, and encouraging voter interest in state solar policies and legislation. Their commitment was crucial to the campaign’s success and Solar One could not be more impressed by their efforts and proud of their accomplishments. Indeed, it would not surprise us in the least if at some point in the future one or more of them were to one day experience lobbying from the other end of the table.

One of the inaugural goals of Solar One’s I Heart PV campaign was successfully met today when the New York State Assembly passed legislation to create a special property tax abatement for new solar system owners in New York City. Bill A11202, introduced by Assembly Member Farrell of Harlem, was identical to legislation in the State Senate (S8145-Padavan) that successfully passed last week.

The abatement will provide a powerful incentive for solar investment, level the comparatively high cost of solar in the five boroughs relative to the neighboring region, and help to permanently drive down the market cost of the technology through market expansion. The policy originated as one of the 127 recommendations in the Mayor’s longterm sustainability blueprint, PlaNYC. To find out more about the policy, click here.

For the past two months, Solar One’s I Heart PV campaign has worked with other advocates to mobilize constituents and help build legislative support for the bill. On behalf of its staff and many partners – including Vote Solar‘s Shaun Chapman, with whom I Heart PV worked closely week in and week out – Solar One thanks all of the voters who made their voices heard and helped make solar more viable in New York City.

So take forty minutes from your day to visit the distant relatives from which you branched off hundreds of millions of years ago. Tix are $20 for adults, $7 for children, and $18 for students and seniors. You can order online or by calling 718-817-8716 during workweek business hours.

Isn’t it time for such double-dipping to end? While these write-offs are a drop in the bucket compared to company earnings, they could go a long way to easing the burden on the average driver. H.R. 5351, recently passed in the House and now before the Senate, intends to set limits on tax credits for oil companies while at the same time increasing subsidies for renewables. Such subsidies are intended to spur growth in emerging industries seeking a foothold in a competitive market; needless to say, oil companies don’t fall into this category. Recent legislative developments are cause for guarded optimism, however; a similar proposal nearly became law back in December, falling one vote short of overcoming a tortuous fillibuster by conservative Senators that had killed previous reform bills. Notably, Republican presidential candidate John McCain didn’t show up for the vote, though a campaign spokesman has stated that “would not have supported breaking the fillibuster”.

The passage of H.R. 5351 is a necessity if we are to tip the balance away from fossil fuels. Click here and here to read more about oil subsidies.