New York State Senator Pete Harckham hosted a press conference today in the State Capitol with advocates and members of the New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA) in support of the Accelerate Solar for Affordable Power (ASAP) Act, which aims to advance the successes of New York’s solar energy sector.
The ASAP Act (S.6570 / A.8758), sponsored by both Sen. Harckham and Assemblymember Didi Barrett, would raise New York’s distributed solar target from 10 gigawatts (GW) to 20 GW by 2035 and implement common-sense reforms to lower costs and streamline deployment. It also advances critical interconnection reforms that will reduce costs, shorten project timelines, and allow for proactive grid investments to accommodate more solar capacity efficiently.
“The ASAP Act will save consumers over $1 billion annually, enhance grid reliability and create economic multiples of well-paying jobs and new industries in New York,” said Harckham. “Additionally, by ramping up the implementation of solar energy systems statewide we will provide cleaner, healthier air to breathe in communities statewide. Simply, codifying our commitment to solar energy is needed more today than ever before.”
“A clean energy future is an affordable future and it’s time to lean into our successes with distributed solar — the only climate goal we’ve hit so far,” said Barrett. “Facing an unprecedented affordability crisis and federal blows to renewable energy projects, I am proud to sponsor the ASAP Act to expand our distributed solar goals and streamline the complicated interconnection process to get more of these projects built — lowering utility costs while creating good-paying jobs. Let’s pass the ASAP Act as soon as possible (ASAP)!”
A new report from Synapse Energy Economics found that meeting New York’s energy storage goal and achieving the expanded solar goals outlined in the ASAP Act will lower electricity bills for New Yorkers by $1 billion per year, delivering savings across the state and all year-round.
To see a video of the rally, click here.
New York’s solar industry employs over 15,000 workers statewide. Right now, the state is ahead of schedule toward its 10 GW by 2030 rooftop and community solar goal. Building an additional 10 GW of distributed solar over the next decade will boost New York’s “affordability agenda” with ratepayer savings and revenue for municipalities and school districts while doubling the number of solar industry jobs. Solar’s success can help fill the gap at a time when New York State is otherwise falling short of its energy goals.”
The ASAP Act requires reforms to the utility interconnection process in order to streamline processes and lower costs for ratepayers. The legislation requires electric utilities to report and publish their actual distribution upgrade costs, enabling greater accountability and fairer cost estimation for solar developers. It also creates guardrails to protect against cost overruns, providing market clarity and reducing price volatility and surprise charges.
In terms of streamlining solar projects, the legislation directs utilities to establish a self-performance option, allowing qualified solar developers to complete certain interconnection upgrades themselves, lowering costs and avoiding utility bottlenecks.
Prevailing wage requirements in the bill will ensure solar expansion creates high-quality local jobs. Additionally, it is meant to support local solar supply chains, electricians, and construction workers—stimulating green job growth and attracting private-sector investment in New York’s clean energy economy.
The ASAP Act also directs New York’s utilities to expand upon their successful flexible interconnection pilot programs, an innovative approach that leverages smart grid technology to integrate more solar and energy storage capacity while avoiding cost-prohibitive traditional distribution system upgrades.
Lastly, the ASAP Act promotes equitable access by requiring at least 35% of solar program investments to benefit disadvantaged and low-to-moderate-income communities.
Jonathan Cohen, Policy Director of the New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA), said, “Independent analysis is clear: If we build 20 gigawatts of rooftop and community solar by 2035 and meet our energy storage goals, New Yorkers will save a billion dollars every single year in avoided energy costs. The ASAP Act is how we unlock those savings. It aligns our solar goals with what benefits ratepayers most and fixes outdated grid‑connection processes that are driving up costs. This bill is the most effective, immediate step we can take to make energy affordability a reality for every household in New York.”
Pat McClellan, Policy Director of New York League of Conservation Voters, said, “Solar energy has been one of New York’s greatest clean energy success stories, but with federal support under threat, we must double down at the state level to keep moving forward. The ASAP Act is a critical step that would set ambitious new targets and call on the Public Service Commission to restore the NY-Sun program and adopt smart reforms that make it easier and more affordable to connect solar to the grid. We’re grateful to Senator Harckham for leading the charge, and we call on the State senate and Assembly to pass this legislation before the end of the session.”
Anshul Gupta, Policy & Research Director for New Yorkers for Clean Power, said, “Removing bureaucratic barriers and easing interconnection and permitting for home and community solar are long-overdue measures that New York can take to reduce energy costs for all New Yorkers, create local clean energy jobs, and unleash much needed new electricity generation fueled by free in-state sunshine. We hope that the legislature and the Governor will act this year to pass these common-sense bills to help improve the economics of distributed solar and storage to compensate, at least in part, for the loss of federal incentives.”
Kate Daniel, Northeast Regional Director for the Coalition for Community Solar Access, said, “The ASAP Act is a commonsense solution to lower electric bills by accelerating distributed solar and cutting the costs of building clean energy across New York. A recent Synapse Energy Economics study shows that deploying 20 gigawatts of distributed solar while meeting the state’s energy storage goals would save New Yorkers $1 billion in 2035 alone—proof that smart policy delivers real savings for families and businesses. We commend Senator Harckham for his leadership to drive solutions for a clean, affordable energy system.”
Daniel Chu, Senior Energy Planner of the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC-EJA), said, “Solar power is by far the most consistent and successful example of what an energy transition can look like in New York. We must learn from and scale up what is working under the Climate Act and expand our solar goals so we can retire aging, polluting power plants and put billions of dollars back into people’s pockets through energy bill savings, whether or not they use solar themselves. Senator Harckham’s ASAP Act is exactly the kind of government action we need to make this happen. Let’s accelerate solar for affordable power today.”
Stephen Levin, CEO of Solar One, said, “We see every day how rooftop and community solar lowers bills for households and makes our communities more resilient. But this incredible success story in New York is at risk due to federal hostility toward clean energy, as well as increasing costs and wavering support here in New York. Our state legislators must step up and continue our momentum by passing the ASAP Act to double New York’s distributed solar goals and get affordable, renewable energy on the grid.”
Marguerite Wells, Executive Director of the Alliance for Clean Energy, said, “Rapidly deploying additional solar energy is the win-win-win New York needs. It addresses our affordability crisis, it helps in the fight against climate change, and it helps our struggling upstate towns with much-needed new tax revenue. We applaud Senator Harckham for recognizing this fact and moving towards removing the red tape that keeps New York from fully embracing this technology.”
Stephan Edel, Executive Director of NY Renews, said, “Solar is the least expensive electricity source on earth, and New York’s most successful clean energy sector. Building out solar energy systems on rooftops and in communities is a powerful way to expand affordable energy access to low-income and disadvantaged neighborhoods, create good-paying jobs, and accelerate our state’s transition to clean, abundant, and low-cost energy. The ASAP Act will help us get there as soon as possible.”
State Sen. Liz Krueger said, “Solar generation is the biggest success in New York’s energy story over the last decade, leading the way in delivering a more affordable and sustainable clean energy future. It’s critical that we double down on this winning bet by increasing our ambitions and getting rid of unnecessary costs that weigh down solar interconnections by passing the ASAP Act as soon as possible.”
