Ten years ago, my brother-in-law and I installed our first solar photovoltaic panel system, on the side of his barn. Some friends and relatives dropped by to see it, and pretty soon, they wanted solar power, too.
Before we knew it, we had a business.
Those were early days for solar power in New York, and there was nowhere to go but up. Luckily, we were able to look past the skepticism to recognize the opportunity.
Ten years later — with 40 employees serving upstate New York, western Massachusetts, western Connecticut and southern Vermont — we've installed more than 1,000 solar systems on homes, businesses and buildings.
Lately, the issue of clean energy has gotten mixed up with partisan politics. That's a shame. Putting solar panels on rooftops just makes sense on so many different levels. Solar power diversifies our energy supply and makes electric grids more resilient. In a volatile market, it offers homeowners price stability for decades to come. And, of course, it eliminates the greenhouse gas emissions that are threatening our climate.
Sure I care about the environment, but I also care about helping my customers save money. They can see that solar power is a smart investment. Business customers often see paybacks within four years, and can lock in super-low energy rates for more than 25 years. Considering that the cost of electricity goes go up 5 percent annually on average, solar power gives these customers long-term savings that can be invested elsewhere in their business.
For example, Garelick Farms, a local milk company, installed a large rooftop system on its Capital Region building, locking in electricity rates at 2 cents a kilowatt-hour for the next 25 years. Fourth-generation Arnoff Moving Co., which serves the Capital Region and Hudson Valley, installed solar to save money, modernize their building, and help offset the carbon emitted from their moving trucks.
It helped meet the commitment of reducing the company's impact on the environment. Also in the Hudson Valley, Brotherhood Winery, the nation's oldest wine producer, recently put a PV system on the roof of a building on the original winery property that dates back to the early 1800s. The blend of old and new is now a major attraction for visitors.
Today, increasing numbers of businesses and homeowners are getting access to affordable solar energy due to the enlightened leadership of New York policymakers. Their visionary policies include solar incentive programs, efficiency standards and, not least, participation in a bipartisan, nine-state agreement to cap emissions from power plants, called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
A recent report card by the Boston-based Analysis Group found that RGGI alone has so far added $326 million in net value to New York's economy, while creating about 4,620 jobs. And across the RGGI states of New England, Delaware and Maryland, the Analysis Group forecasts $1.6 billion in net economic value added to the regional economy, and 16,000 new jobs.
In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, which brought home the vulnerability of our mostly antiquated state power system, Gov. Andrew Cuomo cited the regional plan as a centerpiece of his "Responding to the Crisis" strategy. Cuomo has also championed a stricter limit on emissions, capping the region's pollution at current levels of 91 million tons of carbon dioxide. It's hard to see how RGGI could remain effective without such a change, especially given that the cap is at 165 million tons of carbon dioxide, nearly twice our actual levels.
Governors from the other RGGI states must decide in the next several days whether to strengthen the initiative or weaken pollution standards. Ideally, they'll choose to reduce the current greenhouse-gas emissions "cap" to 91 million tons, locking in emissions reductions achieved to date, continuing to drive reductions through 2020, and creating opportunities for the clean power industries of the future, including solar energy, to thrive.
While Washington politicians risk stymieing emerging clean-energy industries with their partisan infighting, I'm grateful that states like New York are moving forward. The sun shines on Republicans and Democrats alike, and we should all get the chance to benefit from its power.
John Wright is co-owner of Hudson Solar.