Cuomo launches solar energy campaigns throughout New York state

Onondaga County is among five counties in central New York state where campaigns to encourage homes, businesses and local communities to install solar energy are currently underway.

The campaigns are part of a recently announced initiative by New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo to install solar energy throughout the state. More than 900 solar projects are currently being carried out through 26 community “Solarize” campaigns, according to a release from Cuomo’s press office.

Thirty-one more “Solarize” campaigns will be announced this spring, per the release.

The other counties in central New York where campaigns are underway include Cayuga, Cortland, Madison and Oswego, according to the release. Among the five counties, 192 total projects had been underway as of January, according to the release.

Communities participating in campaigns are able to obtain discounts on solar projects, according to the release.

“New York is blazing the trail when it comes to transitioning to sustainable energy practices and building a clean energy economy,” Cuomo said in the release. “By helping communities across the state install solar technologies, we are opening the door to new opportunities that will lower household energy costs while protecting the environment years into the future.”

The campaigns are a component of Cuomo’s NY-Sun program and his Reforming the Energy Vision strategy, according to the release. NY-Sun is Cuomo’s $1 billion initiative to advance solar energy in New York state and move the state closer to having a sustainable, self-sufficient solar industry, according to the release.

The Reforming the Energy Vision is Cuomo’s strategy designed to “to build a clean, resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers” with statewide initiatives and regulatory reforms, according to the release.