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Opinion: Bringing Solar Energy to NYC Schools and Public Buildings

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Opinion: Bringing Solar Energy to NYC Schools and Public Buildings

“This solar program is a game changer: it will reduce harmful air pollution, fight climate change, and create high-quality jobs installing and maintaining solar panels.”

John McCarten/NYC Council Media Unit

Councilmember Sandy Nurse at a rally for the bill in September.

This month, students, teachers, and union workers gathered at P.S.19/M315 in Manhattan to celebrate a huge win for our communities and our planet: a new law is setting our city on a path toward a more sustainable, livable future. This law will bring solar power to hundreds of schools and public buildings, creating cleaner air, green union jobs, and millions of dollars in energy cost savings for New York City.

Back in September, the New York City Council took a historic step forward by unanimously passing the Public Solar Bill, Local Law 99. This groundbreaking legislation commits us to installing 100 megawatts (MW) of solar energy on public buildings by 2030, with an ambitious but achievable goal to reach 150 MW by 2035.

To put it in perspective, that will bring solar to approximately 700 public buildings. That’s not just progress—that’s a blueprint for how we can use climate action to uplift working people.

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