The state of New York recently met its goal of installing 6 gigawatts of solar power one year ahead of schedule.

Outlined in a 2019 clean energy and climate change law, a state agency said that the accomplishment in advance of the 2025 deadline underscores the state’s position as one of the strongest ‘distributed’ solar markets in the nation.

The term refers to the quantity of solar power contributions to energy demand that come from panels owned by both individual homes and businesses, and larger solar farms.

The announcement was made by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) at the opening of a recent solar array in New Scotland, managed by, New Leaf Energy, that will power 1,000 nearby homes.

“Today we celebrate the early achievement of New York’s 6-GW milepost, which brings us one step closer to a reliable and resilient zero-emission grid,” Governor Kathy Hochul said.

“Distributed solar is at the heart of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding the availability of renewable energy, and delivering substantial benefits for our health, our environment, and our economy.”

NYSERDA claims that solar projects in New York have created more than 14,000 solar jobs statewide in a variety of roles.

It also stated that in 2023 alone, 885 megawatts worth of solar projects were installed, raising the total amount of private equity invested into the state’s solar energy market to $9.2 billion.

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In anticipation of the success, three years ago Governor Hochul directed NYSERDA and the Department of Public Service to expand the goal to 10 GW by 2030. 3.4 GW of new installations are already in development.

The State’s far neighbor Maine also recently accomplished an energy transition goal ahead of schedule, with 100,000 heat pumps installed 2 years in advance of their original 2025 target.

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Maine Governor Janet Mills, like Hochul now, also unveiled a new target after achieving the first: installing another 175,000 additional heat pumps in Maine by 2027.

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