The New York State Senate has approved the Accelerate Solar for Affordable Power (ASAP) Act, which sets a target of 20 gigawatts (GW) of distributed energy capacity by 2035, building on the state’s recent success in meeting and exceeding prior solar goals.

The passage of the act comes after New York reached its previous target of 6GW of distributed solar a year ahead of its 2025 deadline. The state has since raised its target to 10GW of installed distributed solar by 2030.

Like New York’s earlier solar targets, the new 20GW goal will be implemented by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) through its NY-Sun programme, which aims to boost solar adoption across the state. The initiative will include incentives and other supportive measures for rooftop solar (for homeowners and businesses) and community solar—an area where New York leads the U.S. in installed capacity.

A key requirement for community solar projects under the act is that at least 35% of their installed capacity must benefit low- to moderate-income households and disadvantaged communities.

In addition to solar expansion, the legislation directs the Public Service Commission (PSC) to reform the utility interconnection process, reduce its costs for distributed generation, and establish guidelines and timelines for flexible interconnection procedures. These reforms are designed to ensure the timely and cost-effective integration of distributed energy resources like solar and energy storage into the electric grid.

Noah Ginsburg, executive director of the New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA), praised the new legislation on LinkedIn. He noted that the ASAP Act “cuts through red tape to lower costs and accelerate New York’s build out of rooftop and community solar to 20 gigawatts by 2035,” adding that a Synapse Energy Economics analysis found the act will deliver over $1 billion annually in avoided energy costs by strengthening New York’s clean energy sector.