Solar

New York City region achieves 500 MW solar milestone

New York City region achieves 500 MW solar milestone
FILE - Framed by the Manhattan skyline, electricians with IBEW Local 3 install solar panels on top of the Terminal B garage at LaGuardia Airport, Nov. 9, 2021, in the Queens borough of New York. President Joe Biden is promising “strong executive action” to combat climate change, despite dual setbacks that have restricted his ability to regulate carbon emissions and boost clean energy such as wind and solar power. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

The New York City region has achieved a major solar milestone.

Con Edison customers have connected 55,000 solar systems totaling more than 500 MW of generating capacity to the electric grid, the utility said.

Queens is New York City’s largest solar market, with more than 18,501 customer-owned systems totaling 131 MW of capacity, followed by Staten Island (11,475 systems), Brooklyn (10,051), the Bronx (4,723), and Manhattan (388). Westchester County is also a vibrant market, with 10,380 systems in place totaling 138 MW of generating capacity.

“In spite of the obvious challenges for solar in the New York City region, with limited space and a dense population, the solar market continues to find ways to innovate and grow,” said Joe White, Con Edison’s distributed generation ombudsman.

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The first solar system was interconnected to Con Edison’s distribution grid in 2001. It took another 15 years to reach the 100 MW capacity threshold.

By 2022, the local market reached a record 89 MW of annual installations, and Con Edison expects a similar or greater level of installations to continue for the next decade or more.