ALBANY, New York — The bright spot in New York’s lackluster progress toward its climate goals is at risk of going dark.
Solar companies in the state are considering layoffs as they struggle with new development restrictions, declining state subsidies and costly connections to the grid, warned Noah Ginsburg, executive director of the New York Solar Energy Industries Association.
Ginsburg said the industry expects headwinds at the federal level, with President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress threatening to yank tax incentives and other support. But they didn’t anticipate a “fight at home against a blue governor.”
“There’s a lot of things that could have been done by this governor and by her agency to support our industry, and she’s not doing it, and 15,000 jobs hang in the balance,” Ginsburg said. “What the governor is signaling is that she’s not prepared to lead and be that bulwark against the Trump administration.”