Solar Power Mandate for New York by 2015

On November 18, New York State announcedhot water/heating, or geothermal heat pumps. All of
passage of the municipal clean energy loan program,which would improve the nation’s green energy
which allows communities to leverage Propertyprofile, reduce the use of fossil-fuel generation, and
Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) loan programs tohelp provide energy security in an increasingly
further an agenda of energy efficiency andtroubled world.
renewable energy.The program would be especially helpful in New York
The bill was passed in special session at the urging ofcity, where a plethora of older, ‘energy hog’
its promoter, Steve Israel (D-NY), who has beenbuildings and high electricity prices make retrofitting
instrumental in seeing the measure come to fruition infor efficiency mandatory if the city is to meet its
spite of the state’s legislative foot-draggers.reduced energy mandate under a new “green
The move effectively reverses a long-standing lawbuilding” law recently instituted by Mayor Michael
which prohibited cities and municipalities within theBloomberg.
state from assessing loan payments via propertyThis law, which will require building owners and
taxes, and puts said municipalities on par to engage inmanagers to conduct regular energy audits and
competitive bidding for funds. It also allows propertyretrofit for energy efficiency in a cost-effective
owners to opt for the increased yearly tax burdenmanner, takes effect in 2013 and applies to buildings
to pay for energy efficiency and renewable projectslarger than 50,000 square feet. Owners and
over a longer period.managers will also be required to benchmark
PACE, which has a double handful of support frombuilding’s energy use against other, similarly sized
such “green” agencies as the Environmentaland purposed structures.
Defense Fund, the National Resources DefenseAcross the entire state, Paterson has established the
Council, the Sierra Club and the Solar Energy“45 by 15” initiative, which requires New York
Industries Association, is an approved vehicle forto meet 45 percent of its electricity needs through
renewable energy funding in such solar cities as Sanrenewable energy and improved building energy
Diego, California and Boulder, Colorado, and in theefficiencies by 2015.
states of Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico,This is one of the most stringent renewable energy
Oregon and Wisconsin.standards in the nation, and meeting it would be
In October, Vice President Joe Biden dedicated $454difficult to impossible without the emergency
million in ARRA (the American Recovery andlegislation, since the state’s NYSERDA (New
Reinvestment Act) funding to support PACEYork State Energy Research and Development
programs. The program is called “RecoveryAuthority) program cut back incentives in
through Retrofit”. Applications are due inmid-October to prevent the money from running out
December and awarded on a competitive basis.altogether.
PACE bond funding could, according to its advocacyThe new, lower level of funding for solar photovoltaic
group PACE Now, top $500 billion, leading toinstallations now stands at $2.50 per watt, down
increased (and badly needed) energy efficiencyfrom $3, with incentives for commercial and nonprofit
upgrades to older buildings to reduce energy use, orsolar also cut. So the PACE measure offers renewed
providing an opportunity for homeowners andhope to solar manufacturers and installers, as well as
businesses to install renewable energy technologieshomeowners and businesses eyeing solar energy as a
like solar photovoltaic energy systems, solar thermalpath to a clean energy future.