Gov. David Paterson, the Long Island Power Authority and the New York Research and Development Authority last week unveiled plans for the largest solar-power project in the state's history.

Gov. David Paterson said the solar-power project was one of the first of its kind in the nation.The 50 megawatt (MW) project would provide enough power to sustain more than 6,500 households and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20,000 tons per year.  

The photovoltaic cells would be placed on a number of locations, including the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Long Island is an ideal place for siting large-scale solar energy because of its high demand and numerous commercial facilities (and roofs) where the cells could be installed.

NYLCV applauds this initiative, which fits squarely into Gov. Paterson's 45 by 15 initiative to increase our use of clean energy and improve energy efficiency. 

"This is a critically important step toward building a clean energy future for Long Island, and is a perfect example of how federal stimulus dollars should be used to defray the initial costs of clean power," said Marcia Bystryn, president of the New York League of Conservation Voters. "We applaud LIPA for being the first utility in the state to step forward so aggressively on clean generation that takes advantage of the new federal money, and thank Governor Paterson and NYSERDA for their leadership on clean energy."