The following round-up aims to capture developments in agrivoltaics (the co-location of solar panels and agriculture) in New York, the U.S., and the world. While there are still barriers and challenges for agrivoltaics in NYS, these news pieces offer insight into both the current landscape and emerging opportunities.

Title: Solar Solutions: Agrivoltaics offer array of options for farmland use

Date Published: Feb. 5, 2025

Link:

This Cornell Chronicle article investigates the evolving field of agrivoltaics in NYS in light of increased university research activity on the topic. Approximately of land identified as suitable for future solar development in NYS is agricultural. Some fear that solar development on farmland will be the death of farming; others hypothesize that the additional income from these developments will allow people who want to stay in farming to do so. Among the farmers who have leased their land, expect to continue producing agricultural products alongside solar panels. With in initial support from NYS, Cornell CALS established the Agrivoltaics Research Program to bring together researchers from diverse fields, including engineering, agronomics, economics, policy, and social science. Additionally, solar industry research has found that adjustable-tilt solar panels can reduce heat stress, and on overcast days, panels could be straightened to allow more light in.

Title: American Farmland Trust makes policy recommendations for agrivoltaics

Date Published: March 5, 2025

Link:

American Farmland Trust, a national nonprofit focused on protecting farmland, highlights the powerful role of agrivoltaics in aligning climate and farm viability goals. On just , agrivoltaics could provide 20% of total electricity generation in the US. A wide-scale installation of agrivoltaics could lead to an annual reduction of with minimal impacts on crop yield, which is particularly relevant given that is expected to occur on farmland by 2040. Moreover, have already been approached by solar companies, with more than half of companies offering to lease land for solar farms. For farmers who own their land, lease payments could help . Agrivoltaics can be incentivized by employing a variety of tactics, including community solar programs, utility-scale project solicitations, and pilot programs. In addition, offering forgiveness for farmland conversion requirements and waiving mitigation fees, as well as streamlining state and local permitting, can help advance agrivoltaics nationwide.

Title: 4.6 Billion Years On, the Sun Is Having a Moment

Date Published: July 9, 2025

Link:

Land is a major limitation in the energy transition, especially for solar, as rooftop panels are insufficient in satisfying our growing energy needs. In comparison, developing solar on cleared lands is considerably cheaper. Converting a portion of fields used to grow corn (the most widespread crop in the US) to solar panel facilities makes ecological sense. As noted by over , a “one-acre solar farm produces as much energy as 100 acres of corn-based ethanol,” further supporting solar development on agricultural lands. Moreover, if just used for corn-ethanol were converted to solar energy, it would generate enough electricity for the US to decarbonize its system by 2050.

Title: Agrivoltaics Market Size, Share, Investment Outlook Strong Growth US$ 8.41Bn by 2032

Date Published: July 16, 2025

Link:

In 2024, the global agrivoltaics market reached $4.32 billion, and the growing market is expected to reach $8.41 billion by 2032. Due to growing concerns about climate resilience, land scarcity, and sustainable energy solutions, the market is building momentum. Worldwide agrivoltaic initiatives are also growing, including research in Turkey exploring crop compatibility with solar installations. Similarly, a collaboration between the National Solar Energy Federation of India and the Agrivoltaics Alliance in Delhi has resulted in an initiative to optimize crop production by reducing production costs and maximizing the use of natural sunlight. Key players in the agrivoltaics market include Next2Sun Technology GmbH, SunAgri, Ombrea, Namaste Solar, Mirai Solar, SunSeed APV Private Limited, Enel Green Power Spa, JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd., BayWa AG, and Insolight SA.

Title: A 'Mammoth' Agrivoltaic Project Crosses the Political Divide in Indiana

Date Published: April 23, 2025

Link:

 The Mammoth Solar project in northwest Indiana is expected to be one of the largest solar projects in the US, with its first phase generating enough energy to power around 75,000 homes. With bipartisan support from local residents and farmers in the traditionally red state of Indiana, the project exemplifies the benefits of agrivoltaics for farmers within the state and around the country. With up to approving of agrivoltaic projects and developments like Mammoth Solar expected to generate $40 million in revenue for local municipalities, there is considerable support for agrivoltaics and recognition of its benefits. Additionally, more research is now focused on the economics of agrivoltaics, such as a German research team that has created a , which helps farmers measure land optimization to balance revenue between generating electricity and growing crops.

Title: New paper highlights benefits of coupling agrivoltaics with retiring groundwater rights in Nevada

Date Published: May 1, 2025

Link:

A new paper authored by Lena Rueck of The Nature Conservancy explains that retiring groundwater rights and implementing agrivoltaics may be feasible in the state of Nevada. As a part of groundwater rights retirement, portions of formerly irrigated agricultural lands can be transitioned to photovoltaic solar farms. This strategy tackles two of the biggest issues in the West right now: renewable energy buildout and water scarcity. Farmers stand to benefit from income diversification through agrivoltaics in Nevada. Further research will focus on transmission capacity for these projects.

Title: A Brief But Spectacular take on agrivoltaics

Date Published: July 15, 2025

Link:

At Jack’s Solar Garden in Colorado, Byron Kominek has transformed his hay fields with agrivoltaic technology, illustrating a key way to blend farming and clean energy. Kominek sees agrivoltaics as a way to help agricultural industries adapt to hotter temperatures, which are becoming unsuitable for many crops. Agrivoltaic technology allows Jack’s Solar Garden to harness the land for passive income and dual land use. For many landowners and especially farmers and ranchers, multiple streams of income maintain the purpose of land ownership. Additionally, recognizing Kominek's unique strategy, thousands of people visit Kominek’s land each year, fostering a sense of community engagement and awareness.

America’s Farming-First Solar Forum (Solar Farm Summit)

Date: August 4-7, 2025

Location: Chicago, IL

Link:

Hosted later this summer, the Solar Farm Summit will focus on major topics relevant for agrivoltaics, including solar energy, agriculture, and land stewardship. The Summit will involve over 100 experts, open town hall forums, and poster galleries for a diverse audience, including members of the private and public sector, tribal governments, academics, farmers, students, and youth audiences. Register for the event here: .

It’s everywhere. In our search engines, in our favorite apps, on our phones, and in so many places we don’t even realize or see. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is certainly the buzzword of the era. 

We’ve all heard about the benefits and drawbacks of Artificial Intelligence—workplace automation, algorithm bias— but how will this affect our work in energy? 

It will certainly affect our day-to-day work (like it has everyone else’s), with more tools for writing emails, better spell checks, AI notetaking, document summaries and more. But how else could it affect our work, and does it mean we are obsolete? (Spoiler alert: no!) 

While AI’s role in energy remains largely uncharted, it holds immense promise for grid support. 

According to the next-generation AI provides “proactive, real-time” energy system solutions, making split-second decisions and predicting blackouts to strengthen grid reliability amid growing power demand. 

In New York state, researchers at the have developed an AI-driven “self-healing grid” that can reroute power autonomously in milliseconds to prevent outages. Meanwhile, on the West Coast, a company called is using AI to predict peak energy generation and balance the grid accordingly. 

AI is also being deployed for cybersecurity, reinforcing grid resilience in response to increasing cyber threats. The growing need for robust security measures has led to AI-driven systems that detect anomalies and respond to threats instantaneously—often without human intervention. 

This is all awesome! But these technologies, even just  creating an AI photo of a cat with a cowboy hat for example, requires immense electrical energy. Creating a single AI photo uses as much energy as charging a smartphone from 0 to 100%. Can the U.S. energy grid can keep up with its demands? We hope so; those at the top (thank you NYISO) are actively trying to plan for an AI-centric future, but that is a tough task. One often-overlooked aspect of AI is its —not just for computation, but for data storage. With large-scale data centers popping up across the country, many are evaluating how their grids will handle the increased energy load and the financial burden on ratepayers. 

Yet AI adoption shows no signs of slowing. Data centers can bring economic investment to an area, which is why communities want them, but similar to other manufacturing facilities, they have needs, namely power. With millions of daily users worldwide, AI’s economic impact reached $200 billion in 2023 and is  

With no way to halt or slow its expansion, the question remains—what’s next? 

The energy industry has a unique opportunity to rise to the challenge. As energy demand surges, so does the need for diversification and grid resilience. We know that wind, solar, and battery storage are an amazing trifecta that can be the backbone of the grid. Improving the technology to boost efficiency and think outside the box is going to be key. Fortunately, with advancements in renewable energy, transmission infrastructure, and battery storage, the sector is preparing for the future. It's a big puzzle, but if we can figure out what pieces we need, it could be beneficial to all. 

Not only is renewable energy essential to sustaining AI operations, but AI itself may prove instrumental in accelerating the clean energy transition—making it more efficient and effective than ever before. 

With one semester left in my undergraduate career at UNC-Chapel Hill, I can reflect on my Fall 2024 internship with ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ (ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝). During my 14-week policy internship with ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝, I gained valuable insights into the clean energy industry, particularly through the lens of New York’s climate policy initiatives. Before joining ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝â€™s internship program this semester, I gained experience at the federal level during the summer of 2024 as an intern with the American Clean Power Association (ACP) in Washington, D.C., where I witnessed the dynamics of clean energy politics during an election year. It has been a rewarding experience to work with trade associations and contribute to policy advocacy that benefits clean energy and environmental stakeholders. 

ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ stands out from traditional trade associations by also representing environmental groups and maintaining a strong focus on climate-driven initiatives. This distinction was evident throughout my time with ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝, both in the meetings I attended and the work I contributed to. I found this especially meaningful, as it offers a unique opportunity to balance the interests of environmental groups and clean energy developers. Much of my work involved drafting support memos for legislative bills aligned with the interests of ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝â€™s members. My public policy background from UNC-Chapel Hill has proven valuable in navigating the clean energy policy landscape and supporting members' policy priorities. New York’s climate leadership is clear, with ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ committed to its members and Gov. Hochul positioning the state at the forefront of climate mitigation efforts.  

As a North Carolinian living in the Southeast, I find New York's climate legislation both important and fascinating to follow. Gov. Hochul and the energy industry are poised to unlock New York's clean energy potential, and the deployment of clean energy is inevitable. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to contribute in any way I could over the past 14 weeks. 

The Future Energy Economy Summit kicked off on Sept. 5 with a welcome from Gov. Hochul. The first panel was on “Accelerating Renewable Energy Development in New York State”. The moderator, George Sassine, NYSERDA’s vice president of Large Scale Renewables, introduced the discussion by stating that the north star for their conversation is the New York Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act). To reach the ambitious goals set out by the Climate Act, accelerating renewable energy development is a poignant topic for the energy industry in New York. The panel featured a diverse group of energy professionals, including Laura Beane, president of Vestas North America, Lori Bird, director of the US energy program at WRI, Eric Cohen, head of green economy banking at JP Morgan Chase, Frank Macchiarola, chief policy officer at American Clean Power, and Jonah Wagner, senior advisor to the director of the U.S. DOE’s Energy Loan Programs Office.  

The conversation centered on three areas; key trends in the industry relevant to New York, challenges in scaling and achieving the state’s energy goals along with potential solutions, and recommendations for New York to consider. These topics were approached with optimism, reflecting hope for a thriving industry in line with the state’s climate targets. Regarding key trends, Frank Macchiarola highlighted the record-setting capacity build-out in 2024, largely driven by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). He emphasized the significant impact of the IRA and its crucial role in the long-term sustainability of the industry. 

Laura Beane expressed her excitement for the growing demand for both onshore and offshore wind, noting the sector’s progress toward full capacity. She noted the offshore wind market is resetting after unprecedented challenges, such as pandemic-driven cost increases and supply chain issues. In particular, she mentioned Empire Wind, a 2.1 GW offshore wind project currently under development in New York. In moving forward in the wind industry, Beane says that New York has done a good job ensuring that projects are reliable and deliverable and that mature projects are needed to stabilize the industry. However, she pointed out that one of the biggest constraints for onshore wind in New York is transportation bottlenecks, with only two turbines able to be delivered per week due to DOT limiting safety escorts to only State Troopers.  

Lori Bird began discussing challenges to meeting New York and country-wide energy goals by introducing load growth as a challenge and an opportunity for increasing the deployment of renewables. Cohen from JP Morgan highlighted another challenge that, in New York, developers seek return and yield, preferring to build in areas with less risk and higher rewards. For New York to meet its renewable energy goals and compete with states like California and Texas, it must position itself as a more attractive option for developers. He suggested that one way to achieve this is by updating the interconnection process, which would provide developers with greater confidence in project timelines.  

Panelists found that the permitting process is a hindrance to the development of renewable energy in the US and shows itself in New York. Macchiarola applauded the Permitting Reform Act introduced by Senator Manchin and Barasso. Other panelists mirrored this sentiment that continuing to tweak processes in permitting will help meet climate goals.   

The conversation concluded with panelists offering recommendations to address these challenges and suggestions for what New York state should consider moving forward. From a policy standpoint, Macchiarola praised New York’s support of the IRA and renewable energy development, stating that states should continue to push the federal government to provide more support. He stressed the importance of strong federal policy in advancing these efforts. Beane, representing wind turbine manufacturing, reiterated her earlier point about the need to update transportation standards to facilitate onshore wind development in New York and address ongoing challenges. She also emphasized the importance of current and future coalition building within the state to support the wind industry.  

Lastly, Cohen gave a financing perspective that for people to get serious about developing in New York there needs to be action not announcements. He then looked at the success New York has had with community solar and questions how this can be replicated at a utility-scale. Wagner from the DOE’s Loan Program Office added that he is enthused to keep facilitating conversations about projects and emphasized the utility of the program. The panel is optimistic about New York’s future in clean energy with Beane closing out saying this is an especially exciting time in the industry.

Imagine what you could accomplish in the next 2,337 days. That is six years, five months and four days from now. Looking back, the same time period puts us at March 7, 2018. Life has changed just a bit since then. What is significant about that time period? 2,337 days from now puts us at Dec. 31, 2030, important because New York state law says we must source 70 percent of our power from renewable sources by 2030. 

Recent media headlines, citing two state reports, correctly show that mandate is in jeopardy. The first was the Clean Energy Standard (CES) biennial review, filed by the Department of Public Service (DPS) staff and NYSERDA on July 1, assessing the progress on the 70x30 goal, which found that between terminated NYSERDA solar and wind contracts and increased load growth projections, NYS is currently tracking to fall short of the goal by a significant amount. The second report was from the NYS comptroller’s report  reviewing DPS and NYSERDA’s actions on the same, with similar conclusions. 

Despite numerous polls showing New Yorkers overwhelmingly support the clean energy transition in New York state, with strong support statewide for wind, offshore wind and solar development, many familiar voices who have fought to preserve fossil fuel usage in New York were quick to jump into the conversation saying the concerns raised in these reports mean we should abandon our mandates entirely. 

The CES biennial report showed that based on current efforts, we would likely hit our 70 percent renewable target in 2033, not 2030, leading some, including Governor Hochul, to float the idea of delaying our mandates until that date. 

It’s incredible to think that with 2,337 days remaining until the end of 2030, we would consider the radical action of abandoning or delaying our 70x30 actions. Perseverance is measured by how we overcome adversity. This summer’s reports are a wake-up call, not a death knell, and only become that if we make it so. We know how to build renewable energy projects in New York, with 9,000 MW of wind and solar already online. It’s getting done. Yes, there are barriers to success. Yes, the process is very far from perfect. But many of the barriers could be removed through direct action by Governor Hochul and her appointees. The major process changes needed are largely in place (building out the ORES office, reforming the NYISO interconnection process), and the CES review process affords us the opportunity to make a more durable Renewable Energy Credit (REC) contracting process going forward that will result in more projects getting constructed. Those are three legs of the stool which every energy project requires- interconnection, permits, and offtake.   

Gov. Hochul has now called a conference in Syracuse in early September to discuss “Strategies to Accelerate Renewable Energy Deployment and Explore the Potential Role of Next Generation Clean Energy Technologies.” Nuclear, which is not a renewable energy resource, is one of the focus areas, ostensibly in an effort to serve the future large steady loads of the Micron factory, among others. But most of this focus is on achieving our second CLCPA goal of 100 percent emission-free energy by 2040, not the 70x30 goal, the looming, albeit 2,337 day-away deadline. 

The CES review forecasts needing 23,000 MW of new contracted Tier 1 resources to fill projected load in 2033. Looking at the now-retired April 2024 NYISO queue, there were significantly more enough projects in the queue to cover the anticipated demand. Even if only half the proposed projects get completed, we still end up with 43,000 MW of onshore and offshore wind and solar projects already in some stage of development in the state, and 20,000 MW of storage projects to boot: well more than the state needs to fill even its most ambitious load growth scenarios. Our focus needs to be getting these projects, already in development, across the finish line. We have 2,337 days to do it. Each developer of these projects says that with some barriers removed by the state, it’s achievable. 

The problem at hand in reaching 70 percent renewable generation by 2030 is not so much a technical one as it is a question of execution. As DoE’s Jigar Shah is fond of saying, ‘Deploy, deploy, deploy.” We don’t need rocket science; we need the governor to lay down the law with her state agencies to get with the program. Literally. The CLCPA calls on all state agencies to work together to achieve the goals set forth by the climate law. ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ and partner organizations are developing a short list of recommendations for the governor to accelerate renewable energy deployment in New York without requiring anything but her force of will to be effective.  

Now is not the time to take the pressure off executing - now is the best time for NYS to double down and build the renewable projects which have already made millions of dollars of investments in NYS thus far. Now is when we have federal tax credits through the Inflation Reduction Act that can result in significant project cost savings. These expire in 2032. Now is when we have a climate change threat which the effects of fossil fuel exacerbates each day. Now is the time to build. 2,337 days and counting. 

A recent New York Post editorial headline asserted that “New York needs to pull the plug on its suicidal green energy goals before the blackouts hit.” Taking off from a recent announcement from the Hochul Administration that the state will fall short of meeting its 70% by 2030 (70x30) carbon reduction goals, the Post echoed the doomsday scenario, calling for the state to reinvest in its fossil fuel infrastructure. 

Missing from the Post's perspective was any accounting for the billions of dollars in costs already attributed to the impacts of the changing climate. Missing, too, was any kind of reporting on the money government spends to subsidize the fossil fuel – and nuclear – industries. But this is all very familiar rhetoric. It is therefore refreshing to take a step back and look at the green energy transition from a more global perspective.  

In his new book. Climate Capitalism, Winning the Race to Zero Emissions and Solving the Crisis of Our Age, Bloomberg News senior reporter Akshat Rathi opens with the encouraging statement that, “It’s now cheaper to save the world than destroy it.” New York may have stepped back from the cutting edge of energy transformation in the past year, but we are still solidly on track to a clean energy future. Perhaps the most significant risk we face now is not the power blackouts and economic disruption projected by the Post’s editorial writers but the missed opportunities for green jobs, sound investments, and a healthier environment that are the real future. 

The state’s 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), coupled with funding from the Biden Administration’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), has created a funding pathway forward for the state to achieve its clean energy goals. What the Post’s editors don’t understand is that their efforts to stop the transition have already failed. Last-ditch moves to save fossil fuels as an energy baseline will be costly for N.Y. ratepayers, taxpayers, workers, and investors - and will ultimately fail. 

Look at the global snapshot: In 2023, renewable additions to power systems were almost 50% higher than in 2022, with government policies supporting renewables' growth in more than 130 countries. This speed of development is predicted to increase in the next five years, mostly from new solar and wind, because their of fossil fuels. Much of this growth is driven by installations in China, and Rathi brings us up to date on developments there, in India, and advances driven by government policies, corporate leaders, and investment strategies in the U.S., Europe, and the Global South. In fact, new investment in renewable energy now globally exceed investment in fossil in fossil fuels. This is particularly important given that we have just experienced the hottest days ever recorded on the planet in the past 800,000 years. 

That’s why Climate Capitalism is an encouraging read. It takes us beyond the borders of New York, or even the U.S. to see the global picture. With chapters built around individuals who have played significant roles in addressing the climate crisis and with the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change as its starting point, the book documents some of the most significant accomplishments of the author’s lifetime. And Rathi doesn’t suggest that unfettered capitalism as a system will solve the world’s energy problems. But he does say, with examples from around the globe, that forms of entrepreneurial and aggregated investments can move forward from the developing existential climate crisis. With examples from China, India, Europe, and the United States, chapters in the book look at both successes and failures that have led to profitable clean energy technologies.   

Climate Capitalism shows how the issues we face are both local, national and global. No one ever said this clean energy transition would be easy, or that it could be done on the cheap. But it holds out hope for a healthier, more affordable, and more resilient energy future. And makes the clear case the transition is irreversible.  

is currently available from Greystone Books. 

One of the panelists at the inaugural American Clean Power (ACP) RECHARGE: Energy Storage Summit summed it up: “where renewables are developed, battery storage follows.” It’s playing out in the states that are much further ahead than New York with renewable energy (i.e. California and Texas) and now we are starting to see the beginnings of the large-scale rollout of proposals for battery energy storage systems in New York. 

Trying to keep this blog for both a general audience and experienced developers, I’ll quickly recap that battery energy storage is an essential part of a modern grid able to help balance loads, smooth out peaks of demand, and fully harness renewable energy, storing wind and solar power for times when demand is highest on the grid.  

Some of the biggest takeaways from the panel discussions at RECHARGE were that the public backlash we see in some areas of New York is not unique, but also not universal. Oregon State Representative Emerson Levy said she hasn’t yet received a single call about the potential safety impacts or fire risk of storage systems. Oregon is behind New York in deployment of renewables, but Rep. Levy said almost all the calls she receives with concerns about storage are misunderstandings of how big the footprint of the facilities are. 

Lori Cobbs, from the Public Utility Commission of Texas said that her state is deploying battery systems by the GW with another 3 GW coming online in the next couple months (New York has roughly 300 MW deployed in total), and Texas can already point to case studies where battery systems have kept the lights (and AC) on for homes when in the past it would have gone out. She said there are questions about siting that come up, but for the most part, these projects don’t face roadblocks to getting built. 

A public relations expert working on battery energy storage system campaign, Saha Robertson, left the audience with a small yet notable takeaway. “Drop the energy and systems from the name, just call it battery storage.” A small branding move that might help alleviate some fear and is just plain easier to say. 

As you would imagine, safety was a primary talking point across multiple sessions. Paul Rogers, a retired FDNY firefighter, currently with the Energy Safety Response Group spoke about how a developer’s first call when approaching a project needs to be the local fire department. That’s who the town board will call to see how they feel about it. This is a new technology and firefighters are not going to be familiar with it. You need someone who speaks their language to walk them through what this project will be and what their role is.  

Speakers also covered new technologies including those in long duration storage, and while developments and improvements are coming and are exciting, the current technology of lithium-ion batteries are going to be the gold standard for at least the short term. It’s up to everyone in the clean energy space, from advocates to regulators to developers to learn about this topic and be able to speak intelligently on it. 

Another panelist spoke about how once the public perception and tide turns against a project, it is almost impossible to get it back on track. This underscores the importance of proper and thorough stakeholder engagement is, and how needed the work of ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ and other nonprofits is to educate stakeholders about this new technology.  

I’ll leave you with one more takeaway that is also a good one to cite. The number of “incidents” at battery storage facilities has remained roughly the same over the past several years, despite the exponential growth and deployment. Speakers also pointed to the three incidents we saw in New York in the summer of 2023 and complimented the Governor for using incidents to gather air, water, and soil data to conclusively prove that these facilities failed successfully. They didn’t cause any negative effects for neighbors. Those incidents give us, as advocates and developers, proof points to use in outreach. 

There was about 300 people in attendance at the conference, and the optimism around this technology was contagious. It will be an exciting couple of years as we look to meet our new 6 GW goal in the next five and a half years. 

Recently, with the state in the final days of budget negotiations, and most energy policy watchers keeping their eyes on the unfolding budget negotiations, the April meeting of the state Public Service Commission (PSC) nearly went unnoticed. It did, however, have two significant features that will have a long-lasting impact on the development of New York state energy policy. The first was the launch of a multi-year effort to design New York’s electric Grid of the Future and the second was welcoming of two new commission members, Uchenna Bright and Denise Sheehan.

To start things off for the new commissioners, the Commission voted to launch its Grid of the Future proceeding.

This marks the start of a significant grid flexibility study, with staff estimating the current and future potential capabilities of distributed resources across New York’s electric grid. Building on the last decade of work, the study will identify near-term actions that can speed the deployment and use of multiple energy sources. Commission staff will file an inaugural Grid of the Future plan by December 31, 2024. An updated plan, which will include input from stakeholders and public engagement opportunities, is due no later than the end of 2025. In his statement, PSC Chair Rory Christian said, “As customers continue to choose electric appliances, cars and heating sources which are increasingly connected through devices, such as smart thermostats or smart EV chargers, we have a once in a generation opportunity to harness the inherent value of the flexible grid services those resources can provide, offering customers the opportunity for significant utility bill savings, while enabling a cleaner, more flexible and resilient grid of the future here in New York.”

Adding to the session’s optimistic atmosphere was the presence of two new commissioners. Bright most recently served as the Northeast Advocate for E2/Environmental Entrepreneurs. In that role, she worked to identify and establish new business and job creation opportunities in the growing clean energy economy. Reflecting the evolution of state energy policy from its historic fossil-fuel based generation platforms to a system based on renewable and clean electricity, Bright’s vision for her role uniquely emphasized the opportunity and responsibility to address the climate crisis. Welcoming his new colleagues, Commissioner David Velesky noted that both Bright and Sheehan have terms that will extend until 2030, the date by which New York is mandated to generate 70% if its electricity from zero carbon sources under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

Sheehan, who most recently served as a Senior Advisor to the NY Battery and Energy Storage Consortium, brings experience in the growing battery storage sector. Sheehan previously served as Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation during the administration of former Gov, George Pataki. She was also a sitting member of the New York League of Conservation Voters Board until stepping down to become a PSC commissioner. Acknowledging the thorough and engaged work Sheehan contributed during her first week on the job and in preparation for her first commission meeting, both she and Bright were warmly welcomed by Commission Chair Rory Christian.

This leaves just one of seven seats left to be filled. With Senate approval required, the assumption is that there will be one more nomination from Gov. Kathy Hochul before this year’s legislative session ends in early June. Otherwise, that seat could remain vacant until next year.

Over the past ten weeks interning at ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝, I have learned a lot about the renewable energy industry and what it takes to make a difference in the future of New York. In the classes that I have taken at Union College, I have learned about many of the concepts that ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ is focused on, however this was the first time I have been able to use what I’ve learned in the classroom and apply it to real life. From the beginning of my days here, I have felt welcomed and enjoyed every time I come into the office. I truly feel like the work that I have done here will help make a difference in the clean energy sector.  

 Despite living in New York my entire life, I have never known how much impact the state level government has on various aspects of the way New Yorkers live and work. In the coming months, I hope to see the bills that I have written memos for passed (or not passed) and that clean energy initiatives continue being put into place in New York. Being able to attend the annual legislative breakfast was a great culmination of my internship, as I was able to interact with legislators and hear speakers supporting the bills that I have researched and written about myself. From this, I have learned that there is no better way to understand the intricates of politics and law making without being immersed in it. During this internship, I have really enjoyed getting to work for a company that shares the passion of clean and renewable energy as I do, and for that I am grateful to have had this experience. 

More than 60 legislators, legislative staff, ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ members and the organization’s staff gathered in the Albany Room Tuesday morning March 5 for the ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ annual legislative breakfast. Headlined It’s Electric! Transmission Planning to Meet our Climate Goals, six featured speakers addressed key aspects of the historic transition taking place in New York’s electric generation system. In various ways, speakers addressed the progress taking place to achieve historic clean energy goals, and the on-going issue of how to get clean energy from diversified sources to the state’s heavily populated and industrialized areas.

Kicking off the morning session, ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ Interim Executive Director Deb Peck Kelleher highlighted the state’s “high climate goals,” and pointed to the investments needed to achieve them. For ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝, a focus of the event was support for Gov. Hochul’s proposed Renewable Action Through Project Interconnection and Development Act (RAPID), introduced as part of her Transportation and Environment Budget Article VII bill. When passed, the RAPID Act will transfer the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) from its current home in the Department of State to the Department of Public Service (DPS). The act will allow ORES to grant siting permits for transmission projects and require the Public Service Commission (PSC) to open a proceeding on the timely interconnection of distributed energy resources to the electrical grid.

Jessica Waldorf, DPS chief of staff and director of policy implementation keynoted steps being taken, outlined the history of related PSC decision-making and referred to development of the next stage transmission system and the “vital backbone” needed for success. Waldorf highlighted the fact that without the necessary upgrades, not all the permitted renewable energy projects will be able to reach their full potential. The RAPID Act’s goal of integrating these components will lead to “one-stop shopping” for renewable energy developers, she said.

Speaking from the perspective of disadvantaged communities, Eric Walker, energy justice senior policy manager for Harlem-based WeAct for Environmental Justice, supported the need for more efficiency in development and transmission. But Walker noted that concerns for those most impacted by the climate crisis must be at the center of any planning. Don’t forget, Walker noted, that as many as 1500 New Yorkers lose their lives annually from exposure to pollution caused by fossil fuel generation. This is particularly a problem in New York City communities hosting peaker plants whose elimination should be a primary goal for the state. “Reliability is a problem,” he agreed, “but it is solvable.”

IBEW Local 1249 President Henry Westbrook represents the workforce actively engaged in building the energy transmission system. His union’s apprenticeship program currently has a waiting list of 300 applicants, many of who hope to be laying the underground wires for the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) starting in April when Spring weather opens a new construction season. When completed, projected for 2026, CHPE will bring hydropower to New York City. 

The morning’s other speakers included Andrew Williams, deputy state policy director of the New York League of Conservation Voters and Vanessa Fajans-Turner, executive director of Environmental Advocates.

On Feb. 1, DEC and NYSERDA released preliminary guidance for state entities to inform the investments and benefits reporting on compliance with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act’s (CLCPA). They then held a virtual information session to provide information about the draft reporting guidance to ensure that New York state entities account for disadvantaged communities, in accordance with the CLCPA. The CLCPA requires that state agencies, authorities, and entities direction a minimum of 35%, with a goal of 40%, of the overall benefits on clean energy and energy efficiency programs, projects, or investments in the areas of housing, workforce development, pollution reduction, low-income energy assistance, energy, transportation, and economic development to disadvantaged communities (DACs).

In an overview of the CLCPA, the panelists discussed that this act has the most aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goals of any major economy, which is 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2050. This also includes 70% renewable energy by 2030, and 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040. The CLCPA encourages a path to carbon neutrality, codifies clean energy targets, and demonstrates commitments to environmental justice, disadvantaged communities, and just transition to properly serve those communities.

On Accounting of Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Investments, it was presented that investments must meet the following criteria:

1. Authorized or implemented by a New York state agency, authority, or entity.

2. Clean energy or energy efficiency investment as either:

   • A stand-alone program.

   • Components of programs within the categories outlined in the CLCPA.

3. Place-based, where:

   • The funds can be directed to communities, or where benefits of a program can be localized to a defined geographic area.

   • A clean energy or energy efficiency investment anywhere in the state that is within a low-income household defined as at or below 60% state median income.

In relation to place-based and state/system wide investments, some clarity was made. Place-based investments are where initiatives can reasonably prioritize or target investments to individuals, households, businesses, and other entities within a specific geographic area. State- or system-wide investments are designed to meet the needs of the state’s energy infrastructure or other state-wide grid objectives.

Disadvantaged communities are at the frontlines of the climate crisis, and by ensuring that 40% go to these communities, it will help ensure equitable outcomes of the CLCPA. DEC and NYSERDA are actively seeking feedback and will be accepting comments until Feb. 23. Comments can be sent via mail to Alanah Keddell-Tuckey, NYSDEC - Office of Environmental Justice, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233-1550 or via email justice@dec.ny.gov, include "Draft Disadvantaged Communities Reporting Guidance” in the subject of the email.

Widespread concern that New York is facing a program-impacting budget deficit was reflected in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive spending plan released on Jan. 16, but despite this fact, her proposal was for a $233 billion budget, an increase of $4 to $6 billion (4.5% increase) over last year. So, it’s more like the so-called deficit is slowing the rate of annual spending growth, a fact that won’t go unmentioned by state lawmakers in this election year. While affordable housing, public safety, and mental health issues remained her top-of-mind priorities, she did propose taking $500 million from New York’s impressive $19 billion rainy day fund to help local governments – especially New York City – address the pressing surge in immigrants arriving in the state.

On the energy front, both her State of the State speech and her budget lacked the recent emphasis that the state has placed on having New York as a global leader in clean energy development and fighting the climate crisis. This reflects the inflationary roadblocks that have slowed, at least temporarily, progress on dozens of offshore and on land-based wind and solar projects. But on a positive note, it means that Hochul’s spending plan aims to upgrade the state’s general project siting atmosphere and improve the regulatory process.

“There have been many roadblocks to getting renewable energy projects to completion, and despite the improvements we have seen at the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES), a more streamlined and efficient process is needed in New York,” commented Deb Peck Kelleher, interim executive director of the ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝.

Peck Kelleher, ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ staff, and member organizations are reviewing the details of the governor’s proposed Renewable Action Through Project Interconnection and Deployment Act (RAPID) with great interest. The RAPID Act proposes to move the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) from its current home at the Department of State to the Department of Public Service (DPS). Presented as a way to improve renewable energy siting further in the state, the ORES shift is designed to bring the agency responsible for siting projects closer to the one handling transmission. The relationship between siting and transmission is a long-standing problem in New York, as the state works to integrate renewable energy generated upstate and more offshore into the NYC metropolitan area grid, where the need is greatest. According to Peck Kelleher, it makes sense that this “vital office would fall under the purview of the DPS.” Many of those most concerned about the problems the RAPID Act is designed to alleviate see issues of authority and decision-making – who has the final say on siting and transmission decisions – as one of the more complex and complicated looming issues involved in integrating these two currently independent government bodies.

On another front, ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ applauds the governor’s proposed investments, including additional funding for the Office of Just Transition. From numerous perspectives, including labor, environmental justice, and community resilience, working to retrain the workforce for the new green economy is a crucial step toward the future. 

With budget hearings underway this week, public reaction to the Governor’s budget proposals will become central to discussions in Albany for a while. Wednesday, Feb. 7, will be the notoriously long day of testimony on the environment, energy, and agriculture. After completion of the hearings, the Senate and Assembly conferences will begin work on their one-house budgets, which are likely to be released in early March. From there, it will be time to get down to three-way budget negotiations, with passage due by statute by March 31 (although the budget was a month late last year).

Progress continues on the design of New York’s Cap-and-Invest Program (NYCI). The stated goal of this program is to help the state meet its greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reduction requirements of 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 85% below that level by 2050, in accordance with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, while also providing needed funds for the green energy transition. Two key documents were recently released: The Pre-Proposal Outline and Climate Affordability Study, will help provide a framework for the program. The Climate Action Council’s Scoping Plan has provided an outline for how New York will reduce GHG emissions and eventually achieve net-zero emissions through the NYCI. An increase in renewable energy coupled with robust stakeholder engagement is critical to the success of the NYCI. More information on NYCI can be found on the . The Pre-Proposal Outline includes the following mandates:

1. Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program Rule: Identifies the type of greenhouse gas emission sources that would be reporting to the DEC

2. Cap-and-Invest Rule: compliance obligations under NYCI, and ensures that that all GHG emissions are accounted for and reduce at the proper rate

3. Auction Rule: Describes allowance auctions and the mechanisms to protect the integrity of the auctions

The goals of NYCI include the following: (1) Affordability (2) Climate Leadership (3) Creating Jobs and Preserving Competitiveness (4) Investing in Disadvantaged Communities (5) Funding a Sustainable Future. The NYCI is currently in the second stage of pre-proposal outreach. Use the to sign up for future meetings and access past recordings of NYCI stakeholder meetings.

Former ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ Executive Director Anne Reynolds made the following comments after the release of the Pre-Proposal Outline: “The cap-and-invest policy is a cornerstone of New York’s Climate Scoping Plan – not just because it would create the cap on carbon pollution that declines over time, but because it would generate funds to help pay for implementation of the rest of the plan. It’s very good news that New York is demonstrating progress with the release of the Pre-Proposal Outline of regulations. The Climate Act directs us to get the regulations in place to implement the plan in 2024, so there is really no time to waste.

“Page 12 of the Pre-Proposal Outline released indicates that DEC is still seeking comments on whether to include the electricity sector in this policy. It is the position of ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ that the cap-and-invest policy should include the electricity sector, as ACE argued in comments submitted this past August.” ()

NYSERDA has initiated a procurement process to solicit platforms and services necessary for the NYCI program to succeed. These include emissions reporting, a market registry platform, auction platform and market monitoring and financial services. Responses to this can be submitted on the and are due by Feb. 12.

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) are seeking feedback on the Pre-Proposal Outline and the three regulations listed above. Comments may be submitted . Additionally, DEC and NYSERDA will be holding three virtual stakeholder meetings throughout January:

Jan. 23, 3 to 4:30 p.m. – The Role of Cap-and-Invest

Jan. 25, 1 to 4 p.m. – Pre-Proposal Outline Overview

Jan. 26, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Preliminary Analysis Overview

The “Invest” aspect of NYCI is formed when GHG emitters pay their fees, those proceeds will then be put towards climate mitigation, energy efficiency, clean transportation, and other climate related projects. In addition to this, this funding will also be put towards an annual Consumer Climate Action Account that will be distributed to New Yorkers to mitigate any potential consumer costs associated with NYCI. Governor Hochul has estimated that NYCI will generate more than $1 billion in proceeds towards Cap and Invest proceeds.  The program is designed based on other successful programs with similar goals and procedures. By applying a price to carbon, the goal is to incentivize consumers, businesses, and other entities to transition to lower-carbon alternatives which in turn will decrease their fees and help work towards decreasing carbon emissions.

ACENY has previously written on NYCI, during the Initial Stage of the Pre-Proposal Outreach, which can be found using this link: /blog/new-yorks-cap-and-invest-policy-begins-to-take-shape.

Stay updated with the latest on NYCI with ACENY by using this page: /climate-action

Standing before a packed Assembly Chamber on Tuesday, Jan. 9 Governor Kathy Hochul delivered her third State of the State Address. Covering a broad range of issues, including mental health, the state’s affordable housing crisis, and additional reforms to New York’s criminal justice system, she also offered a range of proposals that will impact implementation of the state’s ambitious agenda to address the climate crisis and build the clean energy economy.

New York is now in its fifth year since passage of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). Acting in accordance with the law early last year, the Climate Action Council released its plan for achieving the CLCPA’s clean energy mandates. While the governor did not explicitly refer to the law in her address, her mostly technical proposals reflect real world issues that will need to be resolved to continue forward progress toward CLCPA goals. These include relocating the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) to the Department of Public Service (DPS), where a more robust organizational and staff infrastructure, and streamlined communication will hopefully help move the project permitting process forward at a faster pace.

The stakes could not be higher for getting renewable energy projects permitted and built in New York. “In the wake of the recent news that more than 90 percent of the NYSERDA clean energy projects that were awarded contracts, but not completed, have rejected their contracts due to inflation, the industry is in a major reset phase in New York,” said Anne Reynolds, former ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ Executive Director. “Reaching 70% by 2030 is at grave risk.”

The Alliance for Clean Energy (ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝) member organizations recognize that the permitting process has become more efficient with the creation of ORES, but changes do need to be made to continue a pipeline of projects going from planning to permitting to construction to completion.

To deliver increasing sources of clean energy to a modernized electric grid, especially downstate, transmission upgrades are needed for renewables deployment. “The renewable energy industry truly appreciates that Governor Hochul is recognizing the importance of transmission permitting,” Reynolds said. “ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ looks forward to reviewing the details of a new and improved permitting process for transmission.”

The Governor also proposed the launch of a Clean Transportation Standard (CTS) study. ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ will be working for passage of the full CTS as part of its legislation agenda this year.

ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ also applauds the announcement of increased funding for projects in the state’s Climate Smart Communities program. Previously, ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ has advocated for state sales tax exemptions to reduce the costs of three important items needed to meet the goals of New York’s climate plan: electric vehicles, heat pumps, and battery energy storage. The organization continues to advocate that these measures are included in the Governor’s Executive Budget, currently scheduled for release on Jan. 16. The clean energy industry is enthusiastically supportive of innovative policies to support virtual power plants, affordable community solar, and utility rates that control costs for owners of electric vehicles and heat pumps.

These topics, mentioned in the State of the State address, are all the subject of Public Service Commission proceedings. With the Governor scheduled to nominate several new PSC members in 2024, this underscores the need for a full complement of climate-conscious and engaged Commissioners.

For more information, see the ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ 2024 Goals, and .

We all know Earth is warming, with record-setting temperatures now an annual, even monthly occurrence. At ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝, our work addresses the climate crisis through our advocacy for renewable energy and the electrification of buildings and cars. So it’s not like we need to read every article and book written to convince us of the need to act. But we also don’t want to miss current writings, new information, and perspectives that help us better understand the nature of the changes taking place – to nature – in real-time.

Fire Weather, the new book by John Vaillant, is a must. I first heard about it at a talk in November at New York University Law School by New York’s Public Service Commission Chair and CEO Rory Christian. He was clearly deeply concerned by what he was reading and urged others to take a look. So I did.

Published in the fall of 2023 by Alfred A. Knopf, the book is a deep dive into the global phenomenon of increasingly virulent wildfires. In the past few years, we have witnessed devastating, unprecedented fires burning out of control in Australia, Canada, Siberia, and the U.S. The haze we experienced here in New York last year as the result of a Canadian wildfire turned the sky orange, sent respiratory-impacted emergency room visits soaring, and rivaled COVID as a cause of school absences across the northeast.

Vaillant demonstrates that the warming planet has reached a new stage: the Petrocene, which he traces to the blooming of the petroleum-based energy system going as far back as the 1870s. Providing a detailed history of the warnings from scientists about the potential and now unarguable impact of fossil fuels, his focus is the Fort McMurray fire in northern Alberta, Canada, in 2016. But it could be many others, like the Paradise fire that wiped out a town in Northern California several years ago. The irony of the story is, of course, that Fort McMurry, located nearly 500 miles north of Calgary near the Arctic Circle, is at the heart of the bitumen industry – the tar sands – where some of the most environmentally destructive fossil fuel mining in the world is taking place. The essence of the story is that the warming of the planet has evolved to create weather situations such that the conditions exist for uncontrollable wildfires that, like the Fort McMurry fire, can essentially wipe out a city that interfaces with the wilderness in a matter of a few explosive days, even hours.

Fire Weather brings together much of what we now know about climate science. The book also documents how an industry, aware of its potential impact, chose profit over responsibility, bringing us ever closer to catastrophic change. It is, at best, a warning and an inspiration to strengthen the efforts to create a post-fossil fuel world.

The stakes for clean energy and fighting climate change could not be higher. Solar power, including grid-scale and community solar projects sited on agricultural land, will play a critical role in achieving New York State's clean energy and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.

At our annual conference last month, ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ released a first-of-its-kind report Agrivoltaics in New York: Framing the Opportunity, that will help guide the increasingly important conversation in New York around solar energy project development on farmland. The comprehensive report, prepared by on behalf of ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝, considers the prevailing policy and permitting landscape and provides an overview of current and emerging agrivoltaic practices in the solar industry and techniques for combining agriculture and solar development in the state. The report also gets into various technology and research and includes three constructive case studies.

The report, informed by significant input from ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ member companies that are developing renewable energy projects, underscores that agrivoltaics can and should be a tool to support rural economies and keep farmland in production while still providing affordable renewable energy to ratepayers. The report reinforces that agrivoltaics can provide much-needed revenue for New York’s farmers and improve the quality of the farmland that plays host to solar projects.

“This new report serves as a foundation for awareness and advancing agrivoltaics in New York State and is intended to be a useful resource to solar project developers, policymakers, agricultural landowners and other stakeholders working to develop agrivoltaic projects in the state,” said Anne Reynolds, executive director of the ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝. “We look forward to continuing the dialogue about the exciting opportunities for agriculture and solar projects to co-exist and complement each other, while supporting individual farmers and their communities. Fostering discourse and understanding between private industry, government and environmental groups is the core of ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝â€™s mission.”

A few of the main takeaways from the ‘Framing the Opportunity’ report are:

• Acknowledging that agrivoltaics is a rapidly evolving field and recognizing the complexities and additional costs associated with agrivoltaic projects, the ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ report offers considerations for stakeholders involved in developing and implementing agrivoltaic projects at various scales in New York. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to renewable development, and flexibility is required for cost-effective agrivoltaics strategies appropriate for both large-scale and small-scale facilities.

• Agrivoltaics presents a promising pathway to achieve New York’s clean energy goals while preserving production in agricultural lands. Continued collaboration between stakeholders, research and development, educational programs, and incentives will be crucial in realizing the vision of agriculturally compatible solar development that supports New York’s energy and agricultural needs.

• To inform the direction and content of the report, ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ and EDR held several working sessions with ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ member companies. Those discussions informed the following vision statement: ßŮÁ¨´ŤĂ˝ supports a pathway for achieving New York State’s clean energy and decarbonization targets that includes producing solar energy on farmland in a manner that preserves and improves soil quality, provides ecosystem services, and maintains affordable electricity prices for consumers. Solar energy production is an efficient way to generate electricity in and provide new revenues to rural host communities. Agrivoltaics provides added value by maintaining the status of active agricultural lands.

• To put the land area involved into perspective… Of the 35 million acres of land in New York State, about 7 million acres are farmland. The average solar development uses an estimated 5.5 acres of land per MW. Therefore, if the State’s 70 percent by 2030 renewable energy goal is met, solar development will occur on approximately 66,550 acres under the above assumptions, equating to less than 1.0% of New York's farmland. By 2040, assuming the same percentage of solar development occurs on farmland, approximately 27.5 GW will be sited on farmland, representing approximately 2.2% of total farmland in the state.

***

The full report along with a flyer can be found at aceny.org/agrivoltaicsinnysframingtheopportunity.

The Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) has been staffing up and expects to significantly increase the number of projects it will permit in 2024 and beyond. Some of the projects likely involve the controversial need to override local municipal restrictions put in place to slow the rate of clean energy progress in New York. For example, six – both virtual and in person – have recently been scheduled for January as part of the permitting process for the Shepherd's Run Solar Farm in the Hudson Valley town of Copake.  

Complaints about clean energy projects will be heard ranging from a desire to maintain existing community character, to protecting working farmland and maintaining fossil fuel-based and nuclear power options. These concerns, however, usually fail to take into account the long-range costs of failing to modernize the state’s energy system, including costs related to the climate crisis and the health and economic benefits of clean energy to residents.

To address these concerns and invite more local acceptance as the clean energy transition goes forward, developers and municipal leaders will increasingly be taking advantage of Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs). A recent report from the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School can be a helpful guide. The , published in September, outlines 35 recommendations for developers and host communities when negotiating and drafting CMAs for clean energy projects. The report is based on interviews with experts who have experience negotiating dozens of CBAs for climate infrastructure and other projects.

In an era where climate change and environmental sustainability have taken center stage, equipping students with the knowledge and passion for clean energy is of paramount importance. Afterall, the planet’s young people are already on the frontlines. Recognizing this, a United Nations body earlier this week intended to protect children's rights to strengthen their hand in fighting climate change.  

Educators play a pivotal role in shaping the next generation's understanding of clean energy concepts and its . Fortunately, a plethora of resources are available to educators, enabling them to enhance their knowledge and teaching methods regarding clean energy. In this blog post, we will explore some of the most valuable resources that educators can tap into to inspire and educate their students about clean energy.

Department of Energy (DOE) Educational Resources

The DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) offers a range of educational resources specially designed for teachers, including lesson plans, clean energy videos, science projects, and other activities for the classroom or at home to excite K-12 students about clean energy.

Source:

• Clean Energy Videos

  : Share the fundamentals behind renewable energy and energy efficiency through these short videos.

  : See a 360-degree perspective on energy with these videos.

• K-12 Resources

  site has education resources geared toward kindergarten through high school. These include energy efficiency and renewable energy curriculums, activities, and Solar Decathlon design and construction documents.

• Energy Coloring Books and Other Publications

• National Energy Education Develpoment Project

  The U.S. Department of Energy partnered with the National Energy Education Development Project () to create free energy education resources for classroom and educational use.

  For more information and to download NEED energy education materials, visit

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Education Programs

NREL, a national laboratory under the DOE, offers educational programs and resources for teachers.

Source:

• Visiting Faculty Program: Selected university/college faculty collaborate with NREL research staff on a mutually interesting project. Up to two students can participate in hands-on research at NREL during the summer.

• Teacher Professional Development, Summer 2023: Provide professional development opportunities for formal educators to integrate renewable energy and energy efficiency into their curriculum.

• STEM Teacher and Researcher Program (STAR): Provide a 9-week paid summer research experience for future K-12 STEM teachers.

  • Aspiring STEM teachers are paired with researchers and scientists at research laboratories like NREL. They gain firsthand experience in applied research settings, supported by ongoing professional development and networking opportunities.

• Algae Summer Science Institute: Provide intensive, hands-on professional development for teachers on using algae as a renewable energy resource.

  • A 2-day workshop where teachers work through the Algae Foundation's Algae Academy curriculum, which is a 5-day program for K-12 students. The curriculum uses STEM kits and Next Generation Science Standards-aligned materials to teach about algae's potential as a renewable energy source.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

NYSERDA, an organization promoting clean energy in New York state, provides educational initiatives for teachers.

Their programs include teacher training workshops, curriculum resources, and grants for schools to implement clean energy projects. NYSERDA's website offers access to educational materials, case studies, and online tools to support clean energy education.

• Clean Energy Training Resources:

• P-12 Clean Green Schools Initiative: The P-12 Clean Green Schools Initiative aims to improve the environmental sustainability of those schools by reducing school energy loads, decarbonizing their building portfolio, improving indoor air quality (IAQ) and providing clean energy educational opportunities. (Source: )

• NYSERDA Resources for P-12 Schools:

New York City’s Climate Change Education Module

In partnership with Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) launched a climate module to provide free multidisciplinary lessons and activities to introduce students and teachers to a range of New York City-specific climate topics. The module includes a thorough climate education resource list, covering Climate Change Information and Resources, Climate Science Lessons and Worksheets, and Climate Change Systems Lessons and Worksheets.

Source:

Online Platforms and Networks

Numerous online platforms and networks provide resources and support for teachers interested in clean energy education.

The National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project (Source: ), the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) (Source: ), and the American Clean Power Association (Source: ) are a few examples.

These platforms offer lesson plans, webinars, forums for educators to share ideas and collaborate, and access to online communities focused on clean energy education.