Image Credit: ElectrifyNYC/Mayor’s Office for Climate and Sustainability.

On September 20, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the launch of ElectrifyNYC, a program that will help New Yorkers install solar panels and air source heat pump technology. The program is designed to help the City advance its goals of reducing carbon emissions creating equitable access to green technologies. 

Through ElectrifyNYC, homeowners with one to four units can receive free assistance in finding tailored energy solutions for their buildings, financial incentives, and contractors. The program connects homeowners with information about installing heat pumps, solar panels or other energy efficient upgrades; to convert from oil and gas to greener sources of energy; and air sealing and insulating roofs, doors and windows.

The program will be run by the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Sustainability and work in partnership with Kinetic Communities and Neighborhood Housing Services of Queens and Staten Island. The program is the first program from the Office of Climate and Sustainability that focuses on one-to-four unit family homes. Emissions from one-to-four unit homes account for 20 percent of the City’s greenhouse gas emissions from buildings. This year, the program will target low and moderate income homeowners in Queens and Staten Island to reduce maintenance costs, increase homeownership affordability, improve indoor and local air quality, and increase tenants’ comfort. While there is a current focus on homeowners in Queens and Staten Island, the service is available to homeowners in all five boroughs.  

The program also aims to bolster green job creation by using a three-prong workforce development strategy of providing training, leads and business development with a focus on Minority and Women-owned Businesses (M/WBEs), priority population businesses, and contractors who are not yet skilled or qualified for utility and state incentives. 

The program’s goal is to help advance the City’s objective of carbon neutrality by 2050. The City is currently making efforts to install 1,000 megawatts of solar across the five boroughs by 2030. Currently, more than 285 megawatts is installed citywide today. 

To learn more about the program, click here.

Mayor de Blasio stated, “New York City is on the frontline of the climate crisis, and our response must empower New Yorkers to take action today while setting a clear path for an equitable and sustainable future. ElectrifyNYC is ready to support Queens and Staten Island homeworkers in joining the fight against climate change and prioritize minority and women-owned businesses — the backbone of our economy — in the City’s just recovery.”

By: Veronica Rose (Veronica is the CityLaw fellow and a New York Law School graduate, Class of 2018.)