Public Service Commission Approves Two Milestone Climate Initiatives
ALBANY, NY - Today the New York Public Service Commission approved a program called Tier 4, which will facilitate the delivery of approximately 3,000 megawatts of clean energy to the nearly 9 million people living in the NYC-metro area. Upon completion, these projects are expected to reduce in-city fossil generation by 51%. The Public Service Commission also approved a solar roadmap to expand the NY-Sun program into one of the largest solar programs of its kind, including enough community incentives to power nearly 400,000 homes.
Following is reaction from Cullen Howe, Senior Renewable Energy Advocate at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
“Today’s approval of Tier 4 contracts by the Public Service Commission is a massive victory for public health, and is a major milestone on New York’s journey to deliver on its nation-leading climate platform.
“New York City is host to one of the dirtiest fossil power plant fleets in the region, and the clean energy these projects will deliver directly into that system will dramatically improve air quality, accelerate the long overdue retirement of those dirty peaker plants, and play a key role in the state’s transition to a renewable future.
"In addition, the approval of NYSERDA’s solar roadmap turns the state’s solar program into one of the largest and most inclusive solar programs of its kind, including incentives for community solar projects that serve low and moderate income customers, and prevailing wage requirements for large solar projects to promote the continued growth of high-quality solar jobs.”
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.