The findings from the independent analysis bolster momentum for the ASAP Act
Albany, NY — A new independent study released today finds that expanding distributed solar and energy storage across New York could deliver $1 billion in annual energy cost savings by 2035, lowering electricity bills for households across the state, strengthening reliability during peak winter demand, while reducing reliance on volatile gas markets.
The analysis, conducted by Synapse Energy Economics for the Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA), shows that increasing distributed solar capacity to 20 gigawatts by 2035—paired with additional distributed storage—would reduce average residential electricity bills by $87 per year for upstate customers and $46 per year downstate, regardless of whether customers directly participate in solar programs.
The findings arrive on the heels of Governor Hochul’s State of the State Address yesterday, which emphasized the need to make energy more affordable, but was notably lacking in meaningful policies to ensure continued deployment of solar and storage. Legislators have an answer in the ASAP Act, legislation designed to accelerate the deployment of distributed solar to meet rising electricity demand while protecting ratepayers from higher costs.
“Solar energy is the cheapest form of energy to produce and a linchpin for affordability,” said State Sen. Pete Harckham, a sponsor of the ASAP Act. “This new study re-emphasizes the long-term, abiding value of renewable energy and storage systems in this regard. At this point, we should be exponentially increasing our clean energy efforts and gigawatt goals with distributed solar projects to create thousands of green jobs and save ratepayers millions of dollars.”
According to the study, expanded distributed solar and storage would also help New York avoid 59 billion cubic feet of natural gas consumption in 2035—about 11 percent of the gas used for electricity generation in 2024—shielding customers from fuel price volatility that has driven bill spikes in recent years. The study further finds that 56 percent of the energy cost savings occur during winter months, aligning closely with the hours when New York’s grid faces its greatest reliability risks as electrification drives winter peak demand.
“In these uncertain times and with headwinds from the federal government, it’s more important than ever for New York State to lean into and expand on our successes,” said Assemblymember Didi Barrett, Chair of the Assembly Energy Committee and sponsor of the ASAP Act. “The ASAP Act is about scaling solutions that work for everyday New Yorkers – lowering electricity costs for consumers, supporting clean energy jobs, and meeting our climate goals.”
Beyond direct bill savings, the report estimates that expanded distributed solar and storage would avoid $947 million per year in greenhouse gas costs by 2035, reflecting reduced emissions from fossil fuel generation and delivering an estimated $235 million in additional direct bill savings to participating customers and to low-income customers.
“Distributed solar and storage deliver value on multiple fronts at once—lower bills, stronger reliability, and reduced exposure to volatile gas markets,” said Kate Daniel, Northeast Director at the Coalition for Community Solar Access. “This study shows that smart policy choices can unlock real savings for all customers, not just those who install solar on their rooftops. The ASAP Act is an opportunity to build on New York’s leadership and scale solutions that are already working.”
New York has already surpassed its original distributed solar targets ahead of schedule, with more than 7.3 GW installed today and another 2.8 GW in the development pipeline. Developers and policymakers have proposed expanding the state’s distributed solar goal to 20 GW by 2035, a level the study finds would deliver substantial economic and reliability benefits statewide.
“This timely report highlights the opportunity for New York to lower electricity prices by scaling up distributed solar and energy storage deployment,” said Noah Ginsburg, Executive Director of the New York Solar Energy Industries Association. “As policymakers seek to lower costs for ratepayers and drive continued progress toward New York’s clean energy goals, they needn’t look any further than the Accelerate Solar for Affordable Power (ASAP) Act — legislation to raise New York’s distributed solar goal and cut through red tape to ensure we get it done quickly and cost-effectively.”
The full study, Sunlight into Savings: Evaluating Energy Cost Savings from Distributed Solar and Storage Additions in New York, is available here.
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About CCSA
CCSA is a national trade association representing over 125 community solar developers, businesses, and nonprofits. Together, we are building the electric grid of the future where every customer has the freedom to support the generation of clean, local solar energy to power their lives. Through legislative and regulatory advocacy, and the support of a diverse coalition — including advocates for competition, clean energy, ratepayers, landowners, farmers, and environmental justice — we enable policies that unlock the potential of distributed energy resources, starting with community solar. For more information, visit https://www.communitysolaraccess.org and follow the group on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and Youtube.