Scenic Hudson Solar Event: The Low-Down on Solar Incentives & Opportunities 

On March 20, Scenic Hudson hosted Here Comes the Sun:  Make Solar Work for You!  in partnership with the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation.  This event provided space for dialogue between solar industry professionals and energy policy networks, with a focus on getting the most out of federal incentives before they are gone.  The event also included a tour of The Hub at Scenic Hudson’s Poughkeepsie location to view their unique solar installations.  CEC & CSC Coordinators Brandon Toye and Evelyn Laferriere attended the event. 

Speakers at the event included the President of SunCommon, the company that worked with Scenic Hudson to design and install the canopy solar and rooftop solar at the Northside Hub.  The canopy solar, pictured below, is innovative in its use of Glued Laminated Timber, or “Glulam” beams in place of traditionally used steel beams.  The wood used was sustainably harvested and reduces the embodied carbon of the project.   

A legislative representative for Assemblymember Didi Barrett concluded the presentations by discussing the proposed Accelerating Solar Affordable Power (ASAP) Act, which would increase New York’s distributed solar energy capacity target of 10 Gigawatts by 2030 to 20 Gigawatts, expand the NY-Sun program, and require the Public Service Commission (PSC) to establish a flexible interconnection program. 

Overall, presenters and the Scenic Hudson team leading the tour of their solar installations, provided a plethora of information useful for local municipalities. Some key takeaways: 

• If your municipality is thinking about installing solar, now is the time.  To take advantage of the Federal 30% solar investment tax credit, projects must be placed in service by December 31, 2027.  However, if a project demonstrates that it began construction before July 4, 2026, eligibility is extended, with 5% safe harbor available for projects of 1.5 Megawatts or less. 
• There is a 10% bonus available to add onto the 30% tax credit if domestic content requirements are met.
• 100% Bonus Accelerated Depreciation is also available. 
• Net metering and remote metering are also available, allowing municipalities to monetize solar credits if more electricity is produced than used.  Remote metering would allow credits from excess electricity production on one municipally owned property to be applied to electricity bills at another municipally owned property.  
• Incentives are also available through NYSERDA’s NY-Sun program and block grants approved by the PSC.