OYA Solar, a solar developer and asset owner, announced that Rensselaer County has subscribed to 7.4 MWDC of clean energy from OYA’s community solar projects in New York State.
The County is the first major public sector entity in New York to subscribe to OYA’s community solar portfolio and is expected to save approximately $3 million in electricity costs over the 25-year lifespan of the solar project. The agreement was facilitated by the energy consulting firm, EGS Advanced Energy Solutions, which manages Rensselaer County’s significant and complicated energy portfolio.
Rensselaer County’s long-term commitment will support the continued development, construction, and operation of OYA’s community solar projects in New York. The three community solar projects are located in National Grid territory and have a capacity of 19.8 MWDC which comprise only a portion of the nearly 100 MWDC of capacity OYA expects to place in service in 2021.
“Rensselaer County is looking forward to a strong partnership with OYA to provide our county residents with the benefits and savings of solar energy without requiring long-term agreements or on-site equipment,” said Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin. The County’s Bureau of Central Services Director Jim Gordon, added, “The economic benefits realized through our current endeavors with EGS has already allowed county residents to enjoy lower property taxes and we look forward to implementing further changes in the interest of our local businesses and residents using the future savings of this initiative.”
“We are excited to announce this long-term community solar subscription agreement with Rensselaer County,” said Manish Nayar, CEO & Founder of OYA Solar. “Our ability to share immediate savings and clean energy with public sector entities is a significant reason we are committed to the community solar program in New York. These savings can be reinvested in the community and further multiply when you include the local economic impact, job creation and long-term property tax revenues our projects provide.”