New York State Makes Progress Toward Clean Energy Goals

ALBANY, NY (06/03/2011)(readMedia)-- The Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY), a broad coalition of clean energy advocates, today saluted Governor Andrew M. Cuomo for signing into law legislation that significantly broadens the opportunity for New Yorkers to install on-site renewable energy generating systems by allowing the use of remote net metering.

Under the leadership of Senate Energy Chair George Maziarz and Assembly Energy Chair Kevin Cahill, along with Assembly bill sponsor Marcus Crespo, the remote net metering bill passed both houses earlier this year. With remote net metering provisions in place, farm and non-residential utility customers who install renewable energy systems will no longer be required to have that system directly physically connected to the site of energy use in order to receive a billing credit for the energy produced. The new statute also accounts for customers with multiple electric meters.

"Governor Cuomo's signing of this legislation is an important step forward in continually improving and expanding the opportunities for New York to build its clean energy economy, and we commend and appreciate his endorsement," said Carol E. Murphy, Executive Director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York. "The ability to remotely net meter is essential in making renewable energy a viable option for customers whose energy resource may not be located directly adjacent to where electricity is used. We see this scenario with farms, municipalities, and school districts, and those are just the types of customers who can particularly benefit from having greater control over energy costs via an on-site renewable energy system."

Under existing net metering law, New York's utilities are required to provide for the interconnection and net energy metering of wind, solar and farm waste generating equipment, which allows the owner of such systems to receive a credit on his or her utility bill for any unused power supplied to the electric grid. The credit then offsets the power received from the grid when the customer consumes more energy than the system is generating.

Previously, a customer's renewable energy system needed to be physically connected to an electric meter in order to net meter, and the customer's generating credit could only be reflected at a single meter. In some cases it is not practical or possible to use electricity on the immediate site where it is produced. Additionally, customers with multiple meters for multiple buildings and facilities were not able to utilize the renewable energy they produced at more than one site of electricity consumption. In both scenarios, the inability to remotely net meter potentially undermines the cost-saving benefits of on-site renewable energy systems.

"This latest improvement to New York's net metering law means even more farms and businesses, as well as municipalities and school districts, will be able to utilize any renewable energy resources they have on hand," said Senator George Maziarz, bill sponsor and Chair of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee. "Being able to install a renewable energy system is an environmentally-friendly way to take control of energy costs, which is a critical factor in building strong local economies."

Bill sponsor Assemblyman Marcus Crespo said, "Remote net metering lets utility customers with on-site renewable energy systems more practically and effectively displace their energy needs. Because of that, generating systems like rooftop solar arrays will now become a truly viable option for a number of New York's schools and businesses seeking to counter rising energy costs and reduce their environmental impact."

"This legislation marks another important step toward making solar and wind systems a cost effective solution for businesses and not-for-profits," said Assemblymember Kevin Cahill, Chair of the Assembly Energy Committee. "Net metering is boosting our renewable energy industry and creating jobs for installing and maintaining these systems. As a state, we are embracing the many environmental, public health, economic development and energy security benefits of clean on-site generation."

Meanwhile, Governor Cuomo also announced that the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Public Service Commission (PSC) have awarded $191 million to 17 renewable energy power projects across the state via the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) program.

Following the announcement, Ms. Murphy offered the following statement: "We are highly encouraged by this milestone in the RPS program and commend Governor Cuomo for his continued support of growing New York's clean energy portfolio. The returns this investment will bring in terms of economic development and environmental benefits couldn't come at a better time, and we look forward to seeing the RPS program gain even more momentum as we near the 2015 target date."

"We would also like to congratulate the ACE NY member companies receiving contract awards in this round: Brookfield Renewable Power, EverPower, Horizon Wind Energy, and Invenergy. Their contributions to building New York's clean energy economy are very much appreciated."

The selected projects include four wind projects, four hydroelectric projects, seven landfill gas-to-electricity projects, and two anaerobic digester projects located at dairy farms. Once operational, the 17 projects will add 315 megawatts of renewable capacity to New York's generator resource base and produce about 1 million megawatt-hours per year of renewable energy, supplying enough clean energy to power approximately 145,000 homes per year.

The RPS, which was established in 2004, sets a goal of generating 30 percent of New York's electricity from renewable sources by 2015. To date, the RPS has supported the development of 56 large-scale power projects, including 18 wind farms, 25 hydroelectric facility upgrades, eight landfill-gas projects, three power plants that will partially displace coal with biomass, and two anaerobic digester gas facilities.

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About the Alliance for Clean Energy New York

The Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY) is a broad coalition dedicated to promoting clean energy, energy efficiency, a healthy environment, and a strong economy for the Empire State, and is New York's premier advocate for the rapid adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. www.aceny.org