Res. No. 602
Resolution calling upon the Governor to sign S.8512-C/A.9111-C, an act to amend the public service law and the executive law, in relation to portable solar generation devices
By Council Members Ossé, Avilés, Cabán, Hanif, Nurse, Marte, Epstein, Joseph, Farías and Maloney
Whereas, In the twenty-first century, New Yorkers have experienced many of the consequences of the climate crisis, including repeated hurricanes and tropical storms, both pluvial and coastal flooding exacerbated by sea level rise, heat waves of increasing frequency and intensity, and severe snow events; and
Whereas, The effects of climate change are often inequitably distributed, with communities of color, children, older people, and low-income communities more likely to experience the negative effects; and
Whereas, According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (“IPCC”), greenhouse gas emissions must be substantially reduced by mid-century to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and no more than 2 degrees Celsius, to minimize the worst impacts of climate change; and
Whereas, In New York City (“NYC” or “City”), electricity is largely generated via the combustion of fossil fuels, with approximately 85 percent of the electricity supply sourced from fossil-fuel combustion plants in 2021, compared to upstate, where only 12 percent is sourced from fossil-fuel combustion plants and 88 percent from renewable generation; and
Whereas, New York households pay the fourth highest rates for electricity in the country, behind Hawaii, California, Connecticut, and tied with Massachusetts, with an average cost of 29.45 cents per kilowatt hour, approximately 56 percent higher than the national average of 18.83 cents per kilowatt hour; and
Whereas, Electricity rates in New York City are even higher than the statewide average, at 31 cents per kilowatt hour; and
Whereas, In 2019, the New York State (“NYS” or “State”) Legislature passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (“CLCPA”), originally committing NYS to a net-zero carbon economy by 2050, 100 percent zero emission electrical generation by 2040, a 40 percent reduction from 1990 levels in statewide greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and 70 percent renewable energy by 2030; and
Whereas, As part of the Fiscal Year 2027 adopted budget, key CLCPA commitments were rolled back, including the removal of the 40 percent emissions reduction by 2030 deadline, opting instead for a 60 percent reduction by 2040, to the maximum extent feasible and cost effective; and
Whereas, Because several renewable energy projects that were expected to connect to the City’s electrical grid and reduce the carbon intensity of the electric supply have been stalled or canceled, alternative methods are required to ensure local and statewide emissions reduction obligations remain in reach; and
Whereas, Because solar panels are capable of generating electricity without producing any direct emissions, the City has committed to a target of 1,000 deployed megawatts (“MW”) of solar generation by 2030, and has achieved approximately 500 MW of new and existing solar installations citywide as of 2024; and
Whereas, The decision to install a traditional rooftop solar system can be made only by a property owner, with the average rooftop solar installation costing approximately $3,700 per kilowatt of generating capacity; and
Whereas, Approximately 70 percent of City residents rent their homes rather than owning, and currently have limited options when seeking to connect their homes to solar generation; and
Whereas, Small scale commercially available solar panels, commonly referred to as balcony solar or plug-in solar installations, are manufactured with the necessary inverters and safeguards to ensure that they can safely be plugged into a wall outlet; and
Whereas, These plug-in panels are generally limited to 400 to 1,200 watts of generation capacity and can be mounted on balconies, above windows, on roofs, or in gardens; and
Whereas, These plug-in panels deliver energy directly into a home’s electrical network, potentially providing direct and immediate utility bill relief and offsetting local demand with power generated on-site, which can reduce overall strain on the grid and lower reliance on emergency peaker plants, which are highly polluting fossil fuel powered plants used to generate supplemental power during periods of peak demand; and
Whereas, State law does not currently distinguish between plug-in solar installations and more extensive rooftop solar, meaning that a renter in an apartment seeking to install a plug-in solar panel would be subject to the same utility interconnection requirements as a property owner installing a large scale system; and
Whereas, S.8512-C, sponsored by State Senator Liz Krueger and passed in the NYS Senate, and companion bill A.9111-C, sponsored by Assembly Member Emily Gallagher and passed in the NYS Assembly, also known as the Solar Up Now New York (“SUNNY”) Act, would exempt balcony solar installations from existing interconnection and net metering requirements, enabling renters and property owners across the City to more easily participate in renewable energy generation; and
Whereas, The SUNNY Act would define plug-in solar as portable solar generation devices, establish a maximum generating capacity for a single device at 1200 watts, require that devices be listed or certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory as meeting a minimum standard, and prevent local utilities from establishing net metering or interconnection requirements for the use and installation of portable solar generation devices; and
Whereas, To address the affordability crisis, and to advance local and statewide clean energy commitments and long-term climate goals, the State must seek all available paths to address rising energy costs and remove regulatory barriers; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the Governor to sign S.8512-C/A.9111-C, an act to amend the public service law and the executive law, in relation to portable solar generation devices.
NRC
LS#25105
7/24/26