This week, New York Governor Cuomo outlined his priorities for the year ahead in his State of the State address. Among his top initiatives for a building a better New York? More solar!

Touting the state’s successful development of other renewable resources, Cuomo remarked that,

“Now it is time to focus more attention on exploiting our solar potential.”

With rising electricity needs, plenty of sunshine, and a local workforce primed for solar jobs, that potential is tremendous indeed. To harness it, the Governor suggests increasing large, commercial solar projects while also supporting small and medium residential and commercial systems. With an emphasis on much needed job growth, Cuomo has set his sights on quadrupling NY solar capacity by 2013 and beyond. And along with those leaders from the business community, environmental advocates and organized labor, Vote Solar stood up and applauded the Governor’s solar vision.

The Governor’s proposal directly in line with the early years of the solar growth path included as part of last year’s New York Power Act. Passed by the legislature and signed by Cuomo himself, that legislation included a cost-benefit study for a more aggressive 5,000 megawatts of solar. (The results of that study are due out later this month, so stay tuned).

The New York Solar Jobs Act would make good on that promise, providing the necessary blueprint for 5,000 MW of solar development of all sized by 2026. In doing so it would stimulate immediate investment in solar jobs and infrastructure and lay the foundation for long-term solar leadership. Building a solar market that is comprehensive, robust and stable will mean quality jobs, clean air, reliable electricity and a bright economic future for generations of New Yorkers.

First the 5,000 MW study. Now the State of the State. It’s clear that New York plans to make a solar move in 2012. Let’s make that move worthy of the Empire State.

Vote Solar is a non-profit grassroots organization working to fight climate change and foster economic opportunity by bringing solar energy into the mainstream.

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As anyone who has taken on a remodeling project knows, more time can be spent preparing for the project than for the actual installation. Homeowners who try to install a residential solar photovoltaic (PV) system often face complicated processes to get the permits that will not only ensure that their projects are up to code, but that they’ll be eligible for solar rebates and incentive programs.

For many residents of New York, going solar is about to become a whole lot simpler. In fact, a process that once took months could now take less than two weeks.

Streamlined Path to Solar

The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) recently announced that they are partnering with planning commissions in Nassau County and Suffolk County to create a streamlined and standardized permitting process for residential PV systems and solar hot water systems throughout Long Island.

The regional collaboration that helped formed the new initiative included government officials, industry representatives and advocates for renewable energy. The regional initiative is believed to first of its kind in the country.

LIPA, a not-for-profit electric utility that provides electric service for more than 1 million customers in Nassau County, Suffolk County and the Rockaway Peninsula, has been a significant player in the nation’s push to become less dependent on fossil fuels. The company’s solar programs have rebated over $100 million for over four thousand PV installations.

Formerly, each town and village had their own set of regulations for PV installations. This not only created confusion among homeowners and solar installers, but caused delays and frequently added to the expense of the installations as well. The new solar permitting process is expected to cover more than 80% of new solar installations.

New Incentives for New Yorkers

To incentivize municipalities to join the effort, LIPA offered $15,000 to each township and $5,000 to villages that adopted the key components of the plan by the end of 2011.

Here’s what homeowners in the area can expect from the new initiative:

• Application fees will be minimal or waived.
• Permits will be accepted or denied with 14 days of submittal.
• A “Solar Energy System Fast Track Permit Application” will replace existing building permit forms.
• A central registry of all solar installations will be created.
• Safety warning labels will be standardized.

Gordian Raacke, Executive Director for the not-for-profit group Renewable Energy Long Island, praised the new program. “Inconsistent local permit requirements can add hundreds of dollars to the cost of installing a solar electric system,” he said.

Raacke expects that the new permitting system will not only make installing a home solar system easier and cheaper, but will help ensure that the systems are properly designed and installed as well.

Michael Hervey, LIPA’s Chief Executive Officer agrees. Hervey expects that the streamlined permitting process “to act as a catalyst to encourage more homeowners to take advantage of LIPA’s solar programs and save money, while at the same time helping to foster new jobs in the local solar market.”

Photo: Long Island Sunset by Benson Kua

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The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, commonly referred to as NYSERDA was established in 1975 and is known as a public benefit corporation offering information and analysis, technical expertise, programs, and funding to assist New York in increasing the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency in an effort to reduce the need for fossil fuels. NYSERDA is often tasked with environmental protection and creation of clean-energy industry jobs. Because of NYSERDA’s hard work, they won the 2011 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award for “continued leadership in protecting the environment through energy efficiency.”

1) NYSERDA Program to Increase use of Fuel Cells. In March of 2011, NYSERDA offered $21.6 million for fuel cell technology installation for businesses, hospitals and a number of other large power consumers interested in the installation. The technology will allow the users to generate their own power via clean energy technology and consume less energy from the electric grid. Not only does the program offer incentives toward the installation cost, but also payments over the first three operation years based on the quantity of power produced. “Fuel cells present a promising technology that NYSERDA strongly supports,” said Francis J. Murray Jr., President and CEO of NYSERDA. “If more large power consumers install fuel cells to offset some of their power needs, this will further our progress toward growing clean energy in New York State while taking some of the strain off the electric grid.”

2) NYSERDA Starts $26 Million Solar Thermal Incentive Program. In 2011, NYSERDA launched a new incentive program of thermal solar systems as a way to further encourage New Yorkers to switch to solar powered systems from electric hot water systems. The incentives are for businesses and homeowners who are looking to become more energy efficient and also reduce monthly electric bills. The program is to last for five years and help fuel New York’s clean energy economy, increase overall energy security, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

3) $4.6 Million Awarded by NYSERDA to 17 Transportation Related Projects. In an effort to assist New York State companies and universities in developing new, innovative transportation technologies that will reduce fossil fuel reliance, carbon dioxide emissions, and create new jobs, NYSERDA awarded $4.6 million to 17 New York based companies that are looking to develop and commercialize just that. For example, Folsom Technologies International was awarded $500,000 in funding for the development of a continuously-variable transmission enabling an engine to operate at efficient speed-torque combinations, and will also offer regenerative breaking feature to capture and reuse energy lost when braking. Another example is Lawbuilder Consulting that was provided $150,000 in funding to analyze the potential use of the mass transit infrastructure in New York to deliver retail goods to Manhattan’s downtown area, thereby reducing traffic and pollution.

4) NYSERDA Awards $6.5 Million in Incentives to Decrease Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Housing Complexes. To assist in encouraging the adoption of the plan to phase out #6 fuel oil, NYSERDA announced in 2011 $6.5 million in various incentives to assist multifamily buildings with five-plus units use cleaner fuels in running the building. #6 fuel oil produces more carbon dioxide emissions than #2 fuel oil and natural gas and the switch will make heating and hot water systems more affordable, and the incentives will also increase job growth. Overall, the program will eliminate 200,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 150-200 multifamily buildings within a ten year period.

5) In 2010, NYSERDA Awarded $11.3 Million to 25 Renewable Energy Projects. In 2010, NYSERDA provided $11.3 million in funding to assist in the development and commercialization of 25 renewable energy and energy storage projects. The funds are going to support demonstration projects, feasibility studies, and new product development. A number of projects include solar and photovoltaic projects, electric storage projects, wind power projects, waste-heat reuse projects, and projects involving fuel cell studies and kinetic hydropower studies. The 25 were selected from a total of 71 projects.

6) NYSERDA Receives $10 Million from Stimulus Funds toward Solar Photovoltaic. In 2010, NYSERDA made the announcement that $10 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was being awarded to seven solar energy companies that will install various solar photovoltaic systems on businesses and homes throughout the state. These residential and non-residential projects will increase clean renewable energy capacity by six megawatts and provide 600 businesses and homes with electricity.

7) Saratoga Technology + Energy Park. The Saratoga Technology + Energy Park, also known as STEP is located in Malta, New York and covers 280 acres and contains offices labs, and a light manufacturing facility. It is the home of Hudson Valley Community College’s TEC-SMART facility and the administrative offices of GLOBALFOUNDRIES, a semiconductor manufacturing facility. STEP is considered a knowledge-based community that offers significant resources for environmental and clean energy companies seeking strategic locations to build and grow in New York’s Tech Valley. It is owned and sponsored by NYSERDA.

8 ) NYSERDA Gives $1.5 Million to Syracuse Cleantech Center for the Establishment of a Clean Energy Business Incubator Program. In 2009, NYSERDA awarded $1.5 million to the Center for Cleantech Entrepreneurship at the Tech Garden in Syracuse, New York for the establishment of a clean energy business incubator program that will offer business support in an effort to accelerate the development of clean energy technology startup companies throughout central upstate New York. The program will provide the ability for clean technology companies to grow and increase the “green workforce” in the state. The goal is to further New York, especially the central upstate region as the national location for clean energy technology development.

9) Biomass Resources Program. NYSERDA’s Biomass Resources Program has a number of goals in the areas of bioremediation, agricultural and environmental biotechnology, fermentation, and the improvement of woody crops within the agricultural sector. This program “emphasizes the use of low-cost waste biomass, such as agricultural and forestry waste streams to products including fuels and chemicals.”

10) New York Energy Smart Program. When NYSERDA created the New York Energy Smart Program, the main goal was to increase the overall impact of sources of renewable energy throughout all parts of New York in an effort to reduce energy consumption and rising costs. The New York Energy Smart Program offers a variety of energy efficient programs for businesses, academic learning institutions, single family homes, multifamily buildings, and low and medium level income homeowners and renters. It provides a smart, effective way to purchase energy efficient products at a reduced cost. The program also offers clean energy training, energy education, outreach program and locations where energy efficient products are sold to the public.

Article by Shawn Lesser, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Atlanta-based Watershed Capital Group – an investment bank assisting sustainable fund and companies raise capital, perform acquisitions, and in other strategic financial decisions. He is also a Co-founder of the GCCA Global Cleantech Cluster Association ”The Global Voice of Cleantech”. He writes for various cleantech publications and is known as the David Letterman of Cleantech for his “Top 10″ series. He can be reached at shawn@watershedcapital.com

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The sun is ready to go to work in the Empire State. Why, it can even clean a subway car. And these hot summer temperatures serve as a timely (and toasty) reminder that solar is ready and able to help today.

As was excellently articulated by ClimateProgress reporter Stephen Lacey last week, solar is a prime solution for the electricity woes sweeping much of the country amid this summer’s heat wave. You should go read the whole thing here, but some juicy bits:

Today, the cost of solar electricity ranges anywhere from 12 cents to 30 cents per kilowatt hour — in some cases, potentially a third of what it costs to meet peak demand with conventional resources.

So looking back on the month of July, how many times in the NY ISO would solar have helped at a cost that is equal to today’s fossil-fuel dominated wholesale power supply? Let’s take a conservative view for New York and look only at the instances when the price was above 30 cents/kWh, or in ISO speak, $300 MW-hr (LBMP), the upper end of today’s wholesale solar prices. How many times this past month would solar power be at or below at grid parity?

The answer — 1,748. That’s right, during the month of July in various markets around New York state, power prices crossed the $300 MW-hr threshold a whopping 1748 times. An impressive 220 times, the price soared to more than $1000 MW-hr. New York hit a maximum of $1750 during one — probably terrifying – hour on July 22nd for the Long Island Power Authority. Proof positive that solar is a good deal for New York.

These sky-high electricity prices and outage alerts are a pretty clear indicator that New York’s business-as-usual energy approach is broken. And as conventional prices stay on their erratic and upward trajectory, you can bet that the cost of solar will continue to trend down making PV’s economics look even sunnier. Let’s not forget that the sunshine is still a free, making PV a welcome hedge against continued fuel price volatility. In short, solar is primed and ready to cost-effectively address New York’s power needs, especially the peak demand that paralyzes the state’s power grid on hot summer days.

No surprise to those vaguely familiar with the daily path of the sun that these times of high, pricey demand line up with New York highest solar generation potential. Let’s put the sun that’s causing those high temps to work addressing the very power spikes it’s producing. What could make more sense?

The New York Solar Jobs Act provides the missing policy link needed to deploy PV at scale. The bill’s goal of 5 gigawatts of local solar development would go a long way toward repowering the state and easing grid crunch. And so we know it might be hard to remember these soaring temps when the legislature is back in session and considering the bill again come February as you’re shoveling snow. But maybe this will help — the price spikes now, will be setting the trend for higher bills paid in January, February, March, heck, the whole year round. The sun comes up ready to work, day in and day out, month after month. So stay tuned!

Vote Solar is a non-profit grassroots organization working to fight climate change and foster economic opportunity by bringing solar energy into the mainstream.

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Solar power is not the first energy type that leaps to mind when we think of New York City. But the Big Apple is starting to assess more seriously the potential of solar power to transform the world’s capital into a solar-powered metropolis.

“Important things are happening here”, said David Bragdon, head of New York City’s sustainability office, during a recent solar power conference in the city.

According to a CNN report, one of the steps being taken to assess New York’s solar power potential is a map of the city to gauge rooftop solar availability in the area. There’s also a plan to put solar farms on old landfills. Besides, the city is looking at adding to existing fiscal incentives and eliminating red tape related to solar projects.

As a crowded city, New York has a lot of rooftop space, 80% of which is suitable for solar panels. If they were used for solar power, then half of the city’s electricity demand could be met with this type of energy, experts say.

The drive towards solar power is part of a bigger picture. New York State has a mandate to be powered with 30% alternative energy by 2030. Solar could be a big part of that. Right now it accounts for a very small part, or six megawatts, while the city can guzzle 13,000 megawatts at peak times. But that may be about to change.

See how New York City’s subway system is saving money and 84 tons of carbon dioxide per year by using solar power to heat the water that cleans it trains at the Cone Island maintenance facility.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

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Late last week New York lawmakers went home for the summer without passing the NY Solar Jobs Act that we all worked so hard to advance. Friends, we are disappointed that we don’t have a brand new big solar program to celebrate, but there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about a bright future for solar in the Empire State.

As we have remarked before the effort to make New York a solar powerhouse has been an incredible ride.

* The bill’s many economic and environmental benefits gained strong bi-partisan support from legislators. In the senate alone there were 31 sponsors and co-sponsors. That’s nearly half the body!
* Our grassroots coalition helped encourage New York voters to send more than 10,000 emails and 31,500 letters to lawmakers.
* Our industry campaign elicited memos of support from well over 100 organizations including biggies like Dow, GE, and Staples.
* NY sports heroes and reality TV stars upped the wattage with their public support.
* Times Square got a little sunnier thanks to our photo contest that drew submissions from solar fans from upstate and down.
* And that all earned the campaign tons of great press coverage in New York and beyond.

And yet, between a race to get the state budget passed on time and earn a high-profile victory for gay marriage, NY lawmakers did not pass the Solar Jobs Act. However, in the final days of their busy session, Albany did pass an omnibus energy bill, the Power NY Act, which touches on a number of issues that are relevant to the state’s clean economy. It streamlines power plant siting (this includes wind and solar projects), allows on-bill financing for the Green Jobs/Green NY efficiency retrofit program and . . . drumroll please . . . orders a cost/benefit study for the very solar goals that were set forth in the NY Solar Jobs Act.

That’s right, lawmakers heard your call for a solar powered NY, and ended the tale of this year’s session with a big bookmark in the form of a solar study that must be delivered by January 1, 2012. And you can bet that we’ll be working to speed this along so that New Yorkers can begin to reap the benefits of a strong solar market sooner rather than later.

Needless to say we are disappointed by the delay in the bill’s passage – a move that means New York will miss out on immediate opportunities for federal funding, economic development and new job opportunities as neighboring states continue to charge ahead. However, NY legislators’ attention to solar over the course of the 2011 session as well as the ultimate inclusion of the solar study provision in Power NY Act indicate real interest in advancing New York’s solar economy.

We couldn’t have come this far without the tremendous support and hard work of our fellow advocates, businesses and individual solar fans. With your continued help, we’re confident that we’ll get ‘em yet!

And so, this summer we plan on taking these lemons and turning them into … delicious solar powered margaritas.

Vote Solar is a non-profit grassroots organization working to fight climate change and foster economic opportunity by bringing solar energy into the mainstream.

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With just 16 more days before the end of New York’s legislative session, we’re in a race against time to get the New York Solar Job Act across the finish line before state lawmakers go home for the year.

The good news is this campaign to make the Empire State a real solar powerhouse has been moving at a furious pace. As we count down those final days, here is a quick list of our Top 5 Solar Jobs Act highlights:

5. Reality TV’s sunniest bachelor shows that solar is New York’s perfect match. REC Solar’s Ryan Park takes a break from wooing this season’s bachelorette to support a solar powered New York. If state government was reality TV, the New York Solar Jobs Act would get our rose in a heartbeat.

4. Some of the biggest names in business say “yes” to NY solar. Wal-Mart, GE, Dow, and Staples join well over 100 other businesses, trade organizations, environmental groups, and public health advocates in submitting official memos of support for the bill.

3. Solar goes to Broadway. We gave the New York Solar Jobs Act its rightful place in the spotlight with a digital billboard in Times Square. To show lawmakers just how serious New Yorkers are about solar, we encouraged members to submit their own solar-friendly photos for a chance to see shine in Broadway’s bright lights.

2. There’s real momentum in Albany. The New York Solar Jobs Act successfully passed the energy committees in *both* the Senate and Assembly. All told, more than 65 lawmakers from upstate, downstate and both sides of the aisle have signed on as sponsors or co-sponsors.

And the number one development in this campaign … [drum roll]

1. New Yorkers like you all over the state take action to let their representative know … “It’s time to go solar.”

Your calls, letters and emails may seem like simple things, but tallied together they make all the difference. Especially in these precious final days of the legislative calendar. So speak up and make sure you let your elected officials know that you want them to pass the New York Solar Jobs Act today!

Vote Solar is a non-profit grassroots organization working to fight climate change and foster economic opportunity by bringing solar energy into the mainstream.

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“What was that? Did you see that?” – Overheard in NY and CT

If you are New York or Connecticut resident you would be forgiven for feeling a little left out right now. You see, the solar industry grew at a break neck pace in the United States last year. Its something we all believed, but recently had confirmed by a SEIA-GTM report (PDF to the exec summary).

But for us in the Empire and Nutmeg states, we have been nothing more than casual observers to this great solar boom.

For the first time since meaningful data has been tracked, neither New York or Connecticut is in the top ten. We haven’t just taken a backseat in the solar economy race. At the moment, we aren’t even aware a race is going on.

Are we going to stand for this? Because, we don’t have to. There is an opportunity to take action in both the empire and nutmeg states, where we have important solar legislation moving.

NY: New York Solar Jobs Act. You can take action here

CT: SB1 – which contains important solar provisions. You can take action here

The choice is yours. Maybe you are happy to be standing on the curb, soaked from the puddle splashes of faster moving economies.

But we don’t think that sounds like you.

Vote Solar is a non-profit grassroots organization working to fight climate change and foster economic opportunity by bringing solar energy into the mainstream.

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Over the past 25 years, the State of New York has been a national leader in many cleantech initiatives, including its state-wide programs to promote renewable and sustainable energies, reductions in carbon emissions, and recycling programs, just to name a few. Specifically, the State of New York has created administrative agencies to promote research and development, and empowered them to invest in technologies that create and retain good jobs, grow the economy, and advance its global competitiveness. It has also established some of the most ambitious carbon reduction goals in the United States and has set policy, regulatory and funding mechanisms in motion to produce large scale structural changes in its economy, business practices, and energy efficiency to create true innovation.

1) State Investments in Cleantech. The Office of the New York State Comptroller has committed $500 million to be invested over 3 years in cleantech funds through its Green Strategic Investment Program. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) annually finances $600 million in programs to advance the uses of energy and environmental efficient technology and renewable energy sources in ways that promote sustainable economic development. For instance, NYSERDA recently committed $250 million in funding for electric generation projects using wind, hydroelectric, biomass or other clean-energy resources. New York State also recently committed $25 million to the New York Battery and Energy Storage Consortium (NY-BEST) to create a nationally-recognized center for energy storage technology research and development. Its efforts have been validated by GE Global Research’s recent investment of $250 million on advanced battery research and manufacturing facilities near Albany.

2) State Incentives for Green Businesses. The State of New York offers many incentives to businesses that elect to go green, including a personal tax credit of up to two million dollars per building over a period of five years to buildings that meet different “green” standards, property tax incentives such as property tax abatements for photovoltaic equipment expenditures, exemptions for solar, wind, and biomass energy systems, state rebate programs, utility rebate programs for companies that practice energy conservation and efficiency, industry recruitments and support, and economic recovery funding.

3) Increased Employment Opportunities. New York’s Renewable Energy Task Force has concluded that more than 43,000 jobs would be created in the process of shifting only 25 percent of the state’s electricity needs to production by renewable means. In July 2009, in order to grow the cleantech sector and create jobs in NYC, NYSERDA provided a $1.5 million grant to the New York Accelerator for a Renewable Economy (NYC ACRE). NYC-ACRE is now an accelerator for promising cleantech entrepreneurs that provides extensive co-located resources along with physical space, and houses numerous successful cleantech companies. Because of recent job losses throughout New York State due to the recent recession, this and other efforts to increase cleantech job opportunities could not have come at a better time.

4) Renewable Energy Task Force and Plan. The Renewable Energy Task Force consists of a number of stakeholders in the field of renewable energy as well as alternative fuel industries, public utilities, agricultural and environmental communities, state and local governments, and energy policy experts, with a goal to increase the development of renewable energy and energy independence to attract the investment of clean energy industries into New York State. The Plan includes reducing electricity use by 15% from forecasted levels in 2015, new standards in appliance efficiency, creation of stronger energy-related codes for buildings, and investment into projects around the state dealing with renewable energy.

5) Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Reduction. Because of the desire to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the promotion of energy independence, renewable energy, and energy efficiency, New York State has been involved in several major programs to increase the impact of cleantech in the state. These programs include the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (the nation’s first market-based, mandatory cap-and-trade program), The Climate Registry, adoption of California State vehicle emission standards, climate smart communities, the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (30% of electricity from renewable sources by 2015), Green Buildings, and the NYSERDA Adaption Study on climate change.

6) New York Energy Smart Program. Created by NYSERDA, the New York Energy Smart Program was designed to increase the impact of renewable energy on all walks of life to reduce energy usage as well as costs. It provides energy efficient programs for owners of existing homes and new homes, low and medium income renters and homeowners, multifamily buildings, teachers, studies, businesses, and individuals interested in purchasing products to assist with energy efficiency. This program has an outreach program, energy education, clean energy training, and where to go to purchase energy efficient products.

7) Moving Toward Increased Use of Renewable Energy in New York City. New York City is the largest city in the United States and the fourth largest in the world by population. As such, it uses a vast amount of electricity every day, and has been very actively looking for ways to lower electricity bills by decreasing its electricity usage and increasing its use of renewable energy. For instance, the New York City Economic Development Corporation released a Request for Expressions of Interest to develop new and innovative ideas to assist the city in the development of renewable energy sources, including off-shore wind farms, wind turbines on bridges and skyscrapers, and using tidal, geothermal, and solar power.

8 ) The MTA is Going Green. With the recent investment into green businesses and the large number of investments into renewable energy, the Metropolitan Transit Authority, known by most as the MTA, has created plans for a number of cleantech initiatives such as green roofs, wind and solar power, water management and regenerative braking. The MTA runs the New York City subway, rail, and bus systems, which require more than 600 megawatts of energy per day. Because of its increased emphasis on becoming more energy efficient, the MTA stands to save hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. One of the things the MTA is looking into is generating roughly 14% of its total power from the use of wind turbines and tidal energy.

9) Even the Taxis are Going Green. Anyone who has been to New York City knows its streets are lined with yellow taxi cabs. Because of the emissions generated by taxis, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission Board of Commissioners have created a financial incentive program to elevate the number of fuel efficient taxi cabs that are environmentally friendly. Fuel efficient taxi cabs are going to save the average driver around $5,000 annually. The goal is to have a fully hybrid taxi cab fleet by the year 2012.

10) Creation of Multiple New York Non-Profits. More groups are being created to assist in driving the overall impact of renewable energy in New York. For example, the Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY) works to promote the usage of renewable clean electricity technologies and efficiency throughout the state. Its goals are to increase energy security and diversity, increase overall economic development, greatly improve public health, and decrease total air pollution.

Article co-written by Shawn Lesser & Joe Daniel.

Shawn Lesser is president and founder of Atlanta-based Sustainable World Capital, which is focused on fund-raising for private equity cleantech/sustainable funds, as well as private cleantech companies and M&A. He is also a co- founder of the GCCA Global Cleantech Cluster Association, and can be reached at shawn.lesser@sworldcap.com

Joe Daniels is a partner and the chair of the emerging companies and venture capital group at Hodgson Russ, LLP, where he focuses on representing startup to mature public companies, funds and banks involved in high-growth sectors including cleantech, financing and M&A transactions. For more information on Joe, see his bio here.

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We are standing on the precipice of solar greatness in New York State, and it is because so many of you have taken action. You have written over 1500 letters to your legislators. You have contributed more than 30 official memorandums of support. You have donated generously to our solar billboard campaign, and it became a reality. You have made calls. You’ve told friends, and those friends have told their friends.

It is because of your hard work that we are looking at a possible Assembly floor vote on Friday June 18th, with a shot at a Senate vote next week. Success would bring about one of the most comprehensive solar initiatives in the country.

We’re in the final mile of a marathon effort. We have come so far. Let’s give it one last push.

If you have not sent an email to your representative, send one now.

If you already sent an email, thank you! How about making a call.

If you have some spare time in front of your computer, why not write a quick letter to the editor of your local paper expressing just how much you’d like to see New York become a new energy leader by passing the Solar Jobs Act.

If you don’t live in New York, you must know someone who does. Go ahead and spread the word to your Empire State friends.

We promise you, when this bill passes we will throw you all one heck of a party. And we know a thing or two about those.

Vote Solar is a non-profit grassroots organization working to fight climate change and foster economic opportunity by bringing solar energy into the mainstream.

photo: SolarDave

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