ALBANY — State lawmakers, environmental advocates and New York’s premier solar industry group are slamming the Public Service Commission’s decision last week to begin phasing out subsidies for small-scale solar projects.
“Putting the brakes on this clean energy momentum, which is creating thousands of green jobs and saving ratepayers millions of dollars, makes no sense at all,” said state Sen. Pete Harckham, chair of the Environmental Conservation Committee.
The commission decided to redirect $271 million previously budgeted to achieve a 10-gigawatt solar goal to instead reduce the costs of other clean energy programs. That left just $150 million for the commission to put toward supporting the state’s solar industry.
“We should be doubling down on this program’s success and ramping up gigawatt goals instead of standing pat and congratulating ourselves on a job well-done in the middle of our climate crisis,” Harckham said.
