Another Legislative Victory Makes NYC Solar Projects, and Battery Storage, More Affordable

Last week, as New York was surrounded by smoke from historic wildfires fueled by climate change, the New York State Legislature voted to extend and expand several provisions of the  NYC Solar Property Tax Abatement that was set to expire at the end of 2023. We’re viscerally reminded once again of the ongoing climate crisis, and how it impacts everyone, but especially frontline communities and workers who don’t have the ability to stay indoors. We know we need urgent action to rapidly increase renewable energy in New York.

With help from a coalition of advocates across the city, Solar One advocated to extend and increase this incentive, ensuring that it would cover hybrid solar and storage systems, as well as parking canopies. We also advocated to expand the incentive by making it “direct pay” for nonprofits and affordable housing that are currently excluded from the incentive, though this important provision did not ultimately make it into the final law.

What we won: The New York State Legislature passed the NYC Solar Tax Abatement extension, with the Senate voting last week, and the House two weeks ago. The incentive will:

Last for the next 10 years, providing long-term certainty for a growing solar market.

Increase from 20 percent  to 30 percent (starting in 2024)

Cover solar and/or battery storage, including hybrid systems. This incentivizes more resilient solar development.

Cover solar parking canopies, helping facilitate more large-scale community solar over critical open space in NYC.

In our work at Solar One, we see this as a big boost to making solar more accessible for the low-income homeowners we work with, as the Property Tax Abatement is often one of the most reliable incentives they can take full advantage of. Overall, we believe this policy will increase much-needed solar development, including community solar projects, and pave the way for more resilient solar across NYC.

These wins are in no small part thanks to all the housing, environmental, and energy justice advocates who supported this proposal. A special thank you to NYSEIA (New York Solar Energy Industry Association) and its members. Thank you to @Assemblymember Robert Carroll for being a champion for the bill in the Legislature, @Senator Brian Kavanaugh for pushing this in the Senate, and to the @Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) for building City support for this initiative.

The road ahead: We’d like to build off the momentum and keep the conversation going. Solar One will be at today’s  NYSEIA and CUNY Solar and Storage Summit – at John Jay College in Manhattan – helping facilitate a session on “Overcoming Historic Barriers to the Clean Energy Transition” and stay tuned for more recaps this summer. Email Solar One’s Kate Selden, kate@solar1.org, for more information.