East End Community, Environmental Groups Join In Support of LIPA Shared Renewable Energy Program

A diverse array of organizations representing environmental groups, environmental and social justice groups, public health organizations, community groups, municipalities and clean energy companies came together this week to support plans by the Long Island Power Authority to continue to grow and expand access to renewable energy on Long Island and to move Governor Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision forward.

The group’s applauded LIPA’s proposal to implement, through a tariff change, a shared renewable energy program, the “Community Distributed Generation Net Meter Program”, that aims to significantly expand renewable energy opportunities on Long Island; the plan conforms with the New York State’s Public Service Commission direction to investor-owned utilities in the rest of the state.

“We commend LIPA/PSEG LI on this forward thinking and far reaching proposal that follows on the action taken by LIPA Trustees at their December meeting to eliminate the net metering cap (from a 3% limit) for customers’ renewable energy systems. Taken together these measures will ensure greater access to and long-term certainty as customer adoption of renewable energy technology continues to grow on Long Island,” the groups said in a statement.

Those in support said the shared renewable energy program eliminates the requirement that customers’ renewable energy systems must be installed on customers’ individual properties. Instead, a larger renewable energy system, such as a solar array can now be installed anywhere in the LIPA service territory and a number of customers receive their share of energy as a credit on their electric bills.

“This will enable many Long Islanders to choose solar for the first time helping them to save money and unleash significant private investment into Long Island’s growing clean energy economy,” the release stated.

In addition, supporters said, the program is expected to enlarge the market for customer based solar arrays significantly because the traditional model of individual rooftop solar panels does not work for many consumers. Renters and home or business owners with shading on their roofs are unable to go solar under the current models available to them, they said.

For years, advocates have been crying out for renewable energy solutions on the East End.

In 2004, several East Enders attended the People’s Climate March in New York City, armed with posters and aiming to raise awareness.

The posters were designed to highlight the adoption of a resolution by the East Hampton Town Board setting a goal of meeting 100 percent of community wide electricity needs from renewable energy sources by 2020, according to Gordian Raacke, Executive Director of Renewable Energy Long Island.

The following 23 organizations endorsed this week’s statement:

Jorie Latham, Spokesperson, Accabonac Protection Committee

Jessica Azulay, Program Director, Alliance for a Green Economy

Alexander Peters, President, Amagansett-Springs Aquifer Protection

Michael Seilback, VP Public Policy & Communications, American Lung Association of the Northeast

Jeremy Samuelson, Executive Director, Concerned Citizens of Montauk

Susan Harder, Founder, Dark Sky Society

Ron Kamen, CEO, Earthkind Energy

Mike Bottini, Co-chair, Eastern Long Island Chapter of Surfrider Foundation

Robert S. DeLuca, President, Group for the East End

Helene Forst, Chairperson, Long Island Businesses For Responsible Energy, Inc.

Lisa Tyson, Executive Director, Long Island Progressive Coalition

Jackson Morris, Director Eastern Energy, Natural Resources Defense Council

Marcia Bystryn, President, New York League of Conservation Voters

T. James Matthews, Chair, Northwest Alliance

Kathleen Cunningham, Chair, Quiet Skies Coalition

Gordian Raacke, Executive Director, Renewable Energy Long Island

Julie Burmeister, Coordinator, Save Bridgehampton Main Street

Lynne Brown, Co-chairperson, Save East Hampton

Lisa Dix, Sr. New York Representative, Sierra Club

Rick Umoff, Counsel & Regulatory Affairs Manager of State Affairs, Solar Energy Industry Association

Fred Zalcman, Managing Director, Government Affairs, Northeast States, SunEdison

Hilary Pearson, Director, Government Affairs, Sungevity

Larry Cantwell, Supervisor, Town of East Hampton