Syracuse and hundreds of other communities across the country celebrated renewable energy this weekend as part of a larger national day of action called Sun Day.

About 30 people gathered on the first day of fall across from the DeWitt and Manlius solar farms along the Old Erie Canal.

Originally founded by Bill McKibben, an environmental activist, Sun Day was created to demonstrate that clean energy technologies are affordable, reliable and ready to deploy at scale.

“We’re not acting enough in this country,” said George Lorefice with Climate Change Awareness and Action (CCAA). “Our federal administration is not promoting it, as a matter of fact, they’re knocking it down.”

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, the Trump administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill” will eliminate the 30% federal tax credit for homeowners who directly purchase solar systems.

The bill also prompted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to officially terminate $7 billion in federal funding for the Solar for All program, which was aimed at making solar affordable for low income households across the U.S.

Although funding for the Solar for All program was repealed, Lindsay Speer, with the Central Regional Planning Development Board and as leader of the EnergySmart CNY program, said she is thankful that New York remains committed to reducing its impact on climate change.

“There’s still state tax credits for solar, there’s still state tax credits for geothermal,” she enumerated, “and [New York keeps] working on the programs to help everybody.”

The passing of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022, established a 30% federal tax credit for all solar projects until 2033, protecting solar energy development in New York.

From the Solar for All program, New York was meant to receive $250 million in federal funding. Regardless, according to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the state leads the U.S. on community solar and is on the path to installing 10 gigawatts of distributed solar by 2030.

The two hosts of the local inaugural Sun Day event, the CCAA and DeWitt Advisory Conservation Commission (DACC), drew attention to local renewable energy efforts.

The Town of DeWitt launched its solar farm five years ago and announced at the event that it officially runs 100% of its municipal electricity on solar energy.

“This array was specifically set up to satisfy the municipal electric needs for the town,” Sonia Kragh, member of DACC and chair of the sustainability committee for CCAA, said. “That means all the pumps that run water and sewage, the LED lights, things that run the buildings themselves, and now they’ve got electric charging stations for their town electric vehicles.”

According to the Town of DeWitt’s website, it is projected to save $70,000 per year on municipal electric energy costs.

“I wanted to shout out what DeWitt is doing to show we’ve paved the path we have a great sustainability policy and plan that you can follow,” Kragh said.

Following the launch of the DeWitt solar farm, the Town of Manlius launched its own solar array. Instead of supporting the municipal needs, its solar focus is on a community project, directly affecting the people of Manlius.

“The town saves 10% on its electric bill,” Katelyn Kriesel, with the town of Manlius said, “and over the lifetime of the project, the town will save or make over a million dollars.”

Krissel said hundreds of households signed up for the community solar project almost immediately, creating a waitlist.

“It’s projects like these all around the country that will make a difference,” Krissel said. “We were so thrilled to be able to do the project successfully and to be a part of the climate solution.”

Coordinators at Sun Day admit it won’t be solved in one weekend event, but getting the word out that New York is staying in the environmental fight is a start.