Governor Hochul Announces New York Has Installed Eight Gigawatts of Distributed Solar Energy

State is Ahead of Schedule for Reaching Ten Gigawatts by 2030

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that eight gigawatts (GW) of distributed solar has been installed across New York State, which puts the state ahead of schedule for reaching 10 GW by 2030. This substantial growth in the distributed solar market has generated approximately $12.2 billion in private investment across New York and provided more than 16,000 jobs statewide.

“New York continues to set the bar high as we mark another milestone for solar within our communities across the state,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “This is low-cost, reliable clean energy that is delivering cost savings for families and businesses while expanding the availability of renewable energy which benefits our environment, our economy and contributes to New York’s diverse energy resource mix.”

With eight GW of distributed solar in New York, which is underpinned by community solar and the state’s signature NY-Sun Program, there is enough energy to power more than 1.3 million homes and businesses across the state – including those in disadvantaged communities. Currently, there are more than 276,000 projects operating across the State, with another 2.7 GW in development. Solar can be built more quickly than other types of energy infrastructure. Community solar projects expand access to clean energy by allowing households and businesses to benefit from solar power without needing to put panels on their own property.

Last summer, solar generation helped save New Yorkers an estimated $90 million by lowering demand on the electric grid during periods of peak electricity use. More recently, on June 3, 2026, New York set a new solar generation record when solar supplied approximately 29 percent of statewide electricity demand during the noon hour, demonstrating the growing role solar plays in providing low-cost, reliable clean energy across the state.

After achieving its original six-gigawatt distributed solar target a year ahead of schedule in 2024, New York installed a record-breaking 1.28 GW of solar in a single year in 2025. And through its Statewide Solar For All Program, New York continues to be a model for other states by allowing renters, low-income residents and others who cannot install their own panels to participate in and benefit from solar energy. Additionally, under Governor Hochul’s leadership, $200 million was secured in New York’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget to help further expand New York’s solar success and continue to improve energy affordability for all New Yorkers.