D.C. city council passes historic 100 percent renewable electricity bill; New York pledges 100 percent clean electricity goal.
This week the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) welcomed the Washington, D.C. City Council’s passage of a landmark bill that will move the District to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2032, including specific requirements to grow solar energy. In addition, SEIA commended New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for pledging to move New York to 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2040, which he announced in a speech on his early 2019 policy agenda.
Abigail Ross Hopper, SEIA’s president and CEO said in a statement that “moving to 100 percent renewables is not only doable, but doable at a much faster pace than many recognize, and D.C. is taking a clear lead.”
This historic legislation can serve as a model for other states and cities looking to build on their clean energy goals, she said, adding that the bill “helps ensure solar energy is accessible to all residents in the District, including low-income residents, which is a priority for us.”
Hopper also noted that since SEIA is based in D.C. and many of its employees work in the D.C. area and dedicated their personal time to helping pass the legislation, the milestone is especially important to the organization.
New York
Also this week, Sean Gallagher, SEIA VP of state affairs commended New York for sticking to its 100 percent clean energy commitments, releasing a statement after the announcement that the state is increasing its energy storage and energy efficiency targets.
Read More: New York Sets Sights on Energy Efficiency and Storage with New Targets, Incentives
“Governor Cuomo’s commitment to move New York to 100 percent carbon-free electricity is historic, and will cement New York’s place among America’s clean energy leaders,” he said. “We look forward to working with the Cuomo Administration to craft the near-term plan for reaching this long-term goal. Specific examples include doubling down on solar and committing to obtaining 6 gigawatts of solar by 2023, establishing strong policies in the ongoing Value of Distributed Energy Resources case and bringing more large-scale solar to New York.”
The move would make New York the fourth state with a 100 percent clean electricity or clean energy goal, following California, Hawaii and New Jersey. Today, New York has 9,012 solar jobs and 1,570 megawatts of solar installed, the 10th most among states.
