Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp., along with representatives from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Mitsubishi and the City University of New York (CUNY) came together in a virtual forum to discuss the direction of the renewable energy industry with nearly 100 attendees at the 11th annual Solar+ Summit on Thursday, March 4.
“The Mid-Hudson Valley is one of the most active regions in New York State for solar power installations on a per capita basis,” said Ryan Hawthorne, Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations at Central Hudson. “When the summit began eleven years ago, there were 195 solar systems within our service area with a capacity of 1.4 megawatts (MW). Today, we have over 10,000 solar and storage installations with a capacity of 162 MW with the potential to triple that capacity in the coming years.”
The annual Solar+ Summit provides an opportunity for all stakeholders to discuss the direction of the industry and how to shape it in a manner that provides the best outcome for customers and the environment.
“As a turnkey provider of battery energy storage systems and solar/PV inverters, Mitsubishi Electric continues to focus on the safe deployment of renewable technologies,” said Brendan McNicholas, Renewable Energy Solutions Sales Manager for Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc. “The Solar+ Summit provides us with a forum and platform to engage with our customers and also offer valuable insight into this rapidly evolving market.”
New York State has adopted climate goals that are among the most ambitious in the nation. Energy efficiency programs and solar integration by Central Hudson are important initiatives in reducing emissions in support of these climate goals within the Mid-Hudson Valley. New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) sets an 85 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions target by 2050.
“Central Hudson’s annual Solar+ Summit is a great way for NYSERDA to provide information to developers and other industry professionals on changes at the state level as well as within the renewable energy field,” said John Lochner, Vice President for Innovation at NYSERDA. “Venues like this allow us to work together as we move toward achieving New York’s climate and clean energy goals.”
For information on interconnecting solar systems and options for enrolling in Community Solar Programs, visit https://www.cenhud.com/my-energy/distributed-generation/. For more information on ways to save energy, visit www.CentralHudson.com/my-energy/save-energy-money. Resources are also available through the U.S. Dept. of Energy at www.energy.gov/energysaver/energy-saver, and by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) at www.nyserda.ny.gov.
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