Referred to:  The Energy, Environment and Sustainability Committee (Chairwoman Greene and Legislators Hansut, Levine, Maloney, and Stewart)

Chairwoman of the Energy, Environment and Sustainability Committee, Manna Jo Greene, and Legislators Cahill, Erner, Stewart, and X offer the following:

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature is concerned about the impact of conventional energy sources on the environment, as well as the rising cost of energy for our residents and businesses; and 

WHEREAS, Community Distributed Generation (CDG) is a state-authorized program that allows participants to reap the benefits of solar without having to install panels on their property; and

WHEREAS, Opt-Out CDG is an innovative way for local governments to give residents and businesses access to clean energy by automatically enrolling them in community solar projects through the state’s Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) policy; and

WHEREAS, Opt-Out CDG is expected to result in savings of up to 10 percent on the eligible electricity costs of virtually all homes and small businesses in the jurisdiction; and

WHEREAS, the Opt-Out CDG program has been designed to prioritize enrollment of low-income households, which will help quickly expand access to clean energy for all New Yorkers, including those living in disadvantaged communities (DACs); and

WHEREAS, Opt-Out CDG is supported by the NYS Climate Action Council Scoping Plan, the State’s 10 Gigawatt Distributed Solar Roadmap, Clean Energy Communities, and Climate Smart Communities, and directly contributes to the State’s nation-leading clean energy goals; and

WHEREAS, Opt-Out CDG was first approved in New York State in 2018 by the Public Service Commission (PSC), but in 2021 the PSC paused the program and recently called for alternatives to be studied, further delaying the roll out of the program; and

WHEREAS, the delay in the approval and implementation of Opt-Out CDG is hindering progress toward state and local clean energy goals and causing lost savings, especially for DACs; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature hereby supports the approval and implementation of Opt-Out CDG in New York State, and urges the PSC to take immediate action to bring this program to fruition; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature hereby commits to actively support and participate in the Opt-Out CDG Coalition; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the Ulster County Legislature shall forward copies of this resolution to Governor Kathy Hochul, Assembly and Senate Majority and Minority Leaders, the Chairs of the Assembly Energy Committee and Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, and all Ulster County elected Assemblymembers and Senators,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                     NOES:    

Passed Committee: Energy, Environment and Sustainability on  ______________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE