Get Solar Power To 1M Houses By 2023, Queens Advocates Urge State

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — The sun that fueled a warm summer afternoon as it blazed down onto Hunters Point South Park is the same source of energy that advocates argue could power more than a million homes across New York.

Surrounded by families basking in the sunlight, Queens advocates gathered at the Long Island City waterfront park Tuesday to rally support for the “Million Solar Strong New York” campaign, which aims to power 1 million New York homes – including 100,000 that are low-income – with solar energy by 2023.

Campaign organizers called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other state lawmakers to help them reach that goal.

“We need programs and policies to make solar power accessable to all people – regardless of their income level, housing and neighborhood – across New York State,” said campaign organizer Renee Vogolsang.

Advocates were joined by Queens lawmakers and Long Island-based solar company EmPower, which recently expanded into Queens to fix the borough’s “run down” and “destroyed” energy infrastructure,” said CEO David Schieren.

“It’s a lot of hard work, but we do see this future where we have a much better energy system completely powered by solar and wind and batteries that is completely free of fossil fuels,” Schieren said.

“We’re going to make it happen.”

Schieren said his company – which sells, installs and operates solar power systems – recently received more state funds to offer bigger rebates to New York City homeowners and businesses. That’s in addition to tax credits and incentives the city recently extended for homeowners who install solar panels and other infrastructure.

“Are we better off than we were last year? Yes,” Schieren said.

But local lawmakers acknowledged the city has a ways to go in creating solar developments.

The City Council in April requested Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office set aside nearly $800 million of the 2019 fiscal budget to speed up solar development, noting the city was behind on its “One City: Built to Last” plan, which mandates the installation of 100 megawatts of solar on buildings by 2025.

“We’ve done a lot but we can absolutely do more, and i think that’s why we worked so hard in the city budget to push this,” said City Councilman Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria).

“We want to make sure (solar installations) in private spaces are incentivized, but on the same token we want to get our city on building more with solar – Schools, libraries, hospitals.”

Constantinides noted the Million Solar Strong Campaign could improve air quality at several public housing complexes in western Queens, where asthma rates are higher than the borough’s average. Building solar infrastructure would also create more middle-class jobs and line the pockets of homeowners have panels installed, he said.

“This is a win-win for everybody,” he said.

New York Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) also pledged his support for the campaign on a state level, where organizers hope to see most of the solar energy reform.

“It’s a beautiful day,” Gianaris said. “Let’s make use of the natural energy that the sun provides.

“We’ve done so much already, but we can do better.”

Lead photo by Danielle Woodward/Patch

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