Advocating for Solar Power

New York has taken important steps to fight climate change this year, including the passage of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. To achieve the goals of this landmark legislation, we will need to be innovative in our approach to renewable energy. To this end, in August 2019, I wrote again to Governor Cuomo advocating for the State to support a program offering assistance to dairy farmers to add solar panels to their barns, offsetting their energy consumption and providing an economic boon to our struggling agricultural sector. In response, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is in conversation with my office about their plans to expand their existing solar program, and other energy efficiency programs that may be helpful to farmers throughout the State.