New York is a Solar America City

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has named 25 U.S. cities as Solar America Cities and New York is one of them. DOE recognizes Solar America Cities as partners highly committed to solar technology adoption at the local level. The awards are intended to accelerate solar adoption in cities—our nation’s electricity load centers—by supporting cities’ innovative efforts with financial and technical assistance. The cities selected are prepared to take a comprehensive, city-wide approach to solar technology that facilitates its mainstream adoption.

Evaluation criteria focused on demonstrating a comprehensive city government approach to solar planning, including methods to further market expansion and to remove local market barriers. Selected cities demonstrated a high level of commitment to promote solar power.

About the Solar America Initiative
The Solar America Cities awards are part of the Market Transformation efforts of the Solar America Initiative (SAI). President Bush launched SAI in 2006 to accelerate the development of advanced photovoltaic solar technologies with the goal of making them cost-competitive with conventional forms of electricity from the utility grid by 2015.

The Market Transformation focus of SAI addresses marketplace barriers and offers solar technologies the opportunity for market expansion. The other areas of SAI deal with research and development of solar technology including innovative devices and processes, prototype PV components, and collaborative research and development activities among industry, university, and DOE’s national laboratories.

The goal of the Solar America Initiative is to make electricity from photovoltaics cost-competitive with grid electricity by 2015.

Courtesy of Solar America Initiative 3-2008, www.solaramericacities.energy.gov