Community Solar in New York: How It Works and How Much You'll Save

New Yorkers pay some of the highest electricity rates in the country, with Con Edison customers averaging 29.5 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2025, more than double the national average. So, when a state program offers 5-20% off that bill with zero upfront cost and no installation, you'd expect a catch.

There isn't one.

New York has the largest Community Solar market in the United States, with over 2 GW of operating capacity across every major utility territory. The state created the program more than a decade ago to give renters, apartment dwellers, and homeowners without suitable roofs a way to access solar savings. It works, and it's backed by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

In this guide, you'll learn how Community Solar in New York actually works, how much you'll save in your utility territory, who qualifies, and exactly how to sign up. Whether you're renting a walk-up in Brooklyn, owning a home on Long Island, or managing a building upstate, this is what you need to know.

‍What Is Community Solar in New York?

Community Solar in New York is a state-supported cost savings program that lets residents and businesses subscribe to a local solar project and receive credits on their electric bill. The program is officially called Community Distributed Generation (CDG), and it's overseen by the New York State Public Service Commission and NYSERDA.

Here's the short version: a solar farm somewhere in your utility territory generates clean electricity and sends it to your local electricity grid. You subscribe to a “share” of the project, receive credits on your monthly utility bill, and pay a discounted rate for those credits. Your savings are the difference between the credit value and what you pay.

Most New York projects participate in Utility Consolidated Billing, meaning savings are automatically applied to the utility bill and subscribers do not receive a separate invoice for the discounted solar credits.

There's no equipment at your home, no installation, no roof required. Your utility company stays the same, and you can cancel anytime.

New York's program is one of the most mature in the country. The state has enrolled more than 500,000 households since the program launched, and it continues to expand under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

‍How Does Community Solar Work in New York?

1. A solar project is built in your utility territory. Developers build solar farms across New York, from Long Island to the Southern Tier. These projects feed clean energy into the same grid your home already uses.

2. You subscribe to a share of a project. Your share is sized to your historic electricity usage. There's no equipment to install.

3. The project generates electricity. Solar production gets measured by the utility and translated into a dollar value using New York's Value of Distributed Energy Resources (VDER) tariff, also called the Value Stack.

4. You receive solar credits on your utility bill. Each month, Con Edison, National Grid, NYSEG, Central Hudson, or Orange & Rockland applies those credits as a line-item on your statement. They reduce what you owe.

5. You pay Altus Power a discounted rate for the credits. The gap between the credit value and what you pay is your monthly savings. Most projects in New York participate in Utility Consolidated Billing, meaning you will not receive a separate invoice for your discounted solar credits — the final savings are automatically deducted from your power bill charges.

The signup process takes less than 10 minutes. You don't need to be home for anything, and you don't need a roof assessment.

‍What Stays the Same
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• Your utility stays the same (Con Edison, National Grid, NYSEG, Central Hudson, or Orange & Rockland).

• Your service, meter, and outage response stay the same.

• Your billing cycle stays the same.

• You can cancel anytime with no fee.
  

The only thing that changes is your bill goes down.

‍Want to see if Community Solar is available in your area? Check your New York eligibility.

How Much Can You Save?

Most New York subscribers save 5-20% on their monthly electricity costs, depending on utility territory, project terms, and energy usage. Many NYSERDA-supported projects offer a guaranteed discount of at least 10% off the credit value.

In real numbers: if you receive $200 per month in solar credits in the Con Edison territory and save 10%, that's $20 per month or $240 per year.

Community Solar locks in a discount against whatever your utility charges. As rates rise, the savings grow.

‍A Typical Upstate NY Subscriber

Picture someone who moves into an apartment near Castleton-on-Hudson in spring 2025 and gets hit with a $210 National Grid bill that first month. Upstate rates aren't cheap, and they don't want to just eat the cost. They sign up for a 10% Community Solar discount in under ten minutes — upload a recent bill, confirm the address, agree to the subscription.

By midsummer, with the solar farm at peak production, two new lines appear on their National Grid bill: a solar credit topping $80, and a discounted charge for it. It all nets out on the same bill — no separate invoice, just a lower balance and about $8 in savings that month.

‍Who Is Eligible?

‍If you pay an electric bill from one of the state's investor-owned utilities, you can likely subscribe:

• Con Edison (New York City, Westchester County)

• National Grid (Upstate New York, Long Island)

• NYSEG (Southern Tier, Finger Lakes, Central New York)

• Central Hudson (Mid-Hudson Valley)

• Orange & Rockland (Rockland County, Orange County)

Both renters and homeowners qualify. You don't need to own your property, and you don't need a credit check for most programs. As long as you don't already have solar panels on your home, you're probably eligible.

‍Low-Income and Disadvantaged Community Programs

‍New York also runs a dedicated Community Solar track for low-income households and disadvantaged communities. The NY-Sun Inclusive Community Solar Adder provides extra financial support to projects that serve these subscribers, often delivering higher guaranteed savings, sometimes 20% or more.

‍Why New York Leads the Nation:

Scale: Over 2 GW of Community Solar capacity operational as of early 2026, enough to power roughly 350,000 homes.
Market maturity: The program has been running since 2015. Utilities, developers, subscribers, and regulators all know how it works.
Equity focus: New York has enrolled more low-income Community Solar subscribers than any other state.

Ready to see what's available? Start with a quick eligibility check.

How to Sign Up

1. Check eligibility. Confirm your utility is Con Edison, National Grid, NYSEG, Central Hudson, or Orange & Rockland.

2. Pick a project and provider. Altus Power offers Community Solar subscriptions across every NY utility territory with no long-term commitment.

3. Gather your info. Recent utility bill and basic contact info.

4. Enroll online. The entire process takes under 10 minutes.

5. Wait for your subscription to activate.  

6. Watch the credits appear. Solar credits show up as a line item on your utility bill 2-3 billing cycles later.
   

Can I Cancel If I Move?

‍Yes, you can usually transfer your Community Solar subscription to your new home if you move within the same utility territory. If you are moving to a different utility or out of state where you are no longer eligible, you can cancel without penalty.

‍Commercial Solar in New York

‍While Community Solar serves renters, homeowners, and small businesses, Altus Power also operates commercial solar installations across New York for larger properties. Learn more about our Commercial Solar offerings here.

‍Frequently Asked Questions

Is Community Solar available in New York?
‍Yes. Community Solar has been available since 2015 under the Community Distributed Generation program. More than 2 GW of capacity is operational.

‍How much does Community Solar save in New York?
‍Altus Power subscribers save 5-10% on their solar credits.

‍Do I need to own a home to subscribe?
‍No. Both renters and homeowners qualify.

‍Will Community Solar affect my utility service?
‍No. Your existing utility still delivers your electricity and handles outages, billing, and service just like before.

‍Is Community Solar a scam?
No. Community Solar in New York is a state-approved program overseen by NYSERDA and the Public Service Commission. It has been operating for over a decade. Altus Power has been in business since 2010 and operates 1.3+ GW of solar across 30 states.

‍Can I cancel Community Solar anytime?
‍With Altus Power, yes. There's no long-term contract and no cancellation fee.

What's the difference between rooftop solar and Community Solar?
‍Rooftop solar requires owning a home, having a suitable roof, and paying for an installation. Community Solar requires none of those. You subscribe online, there's no equipment at your property, and you receive credits on your existing utility bill.

‍The Bottom Line
‍New York has built the largest Community Solar market in the country. The savings are real, the program is state-regulated, and the signup takes less than 10 minutes.

Rates are climbing. The savings compound. And there's zero risk in trying.
See Community Solar options available in your New York utility territory →

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Altus Power is one of the largest owners and operators of commercial-scale solar in the United States, with 1.3+ GW of operating solar across 30 states and Washington DC. One of the pioneers of Community Solar, Altus serves more than 40,000 subscribers across 9 states including New York. Learn more about Altus Power or explore our Community Solar FAQ.