New law gives school districts more time to pay for clean energy upgrades

NEW YORK- School districts across New York will have more time to recover the cost of clean-energy improvements under legislation recently signed by Governor Kathy Hochul. The new law extends the period school districts can use savings from lower utility bills to pay for clean-energy upgrades from the current 18 years to as many as 25 years. The change is intended to make projects such as installing solar panels on school buildings more financially feasible for districts. State Sen. Pete Harckham, who supported the legislation, said the measure will help districts move forward with renewable-energy projects while potentially saving taxpayers money over the long term. “It’s time to help school districts that are ready to commit to renewable energy projects like solar for their buildings, and that’s what this new law does,” Harckham said. “Along with assisting in the fight against climate change, these renewables will end up saving taxpayer dollars year after year.” Harckham credited student advocates who pushed for action on environmental issues. “But most of all, I am proud of the student advocates whose hard work and concern about their environment helped spur this initiative,” Harckham said. “Truly, this is a great example of young people driving change that will benefit us all.” Hochul signed the bill as one of three pieces of legislation focused on clean energy, climate education and research, and environmental protection.