Beginning this year, you could get a tax break when
installing solar energy equipment in a commercial building, the New York State
Department of Taxation and Finance said last week.
Beginning January 1, 2013, thanks to legislation and
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's support, the State's 4% sales tax won't be charged
on the sale or installation of commercial solar energy systems equipment.
The exemption also applies to the 3/8% sales tax imposed in the Metropolitan
Commuter Transportation District.
The new law also allows cities and counties, including New
York City, to provide a similar exemption from their local sales taxes.
"This measure builds on the existing solar exemption
for homeowners to encourage businesses statewide to use clean, renewable
resources," said Commissioner Thomas H. Mattox.
A little history on the NY Sun Iniative:
The NY-Sun Initiative brings together and expands existing
programs administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development
Authority (NYSERDA), Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), and the New York Power
Authority (NYPA), to ensure a coordinated and well-funded solar energy
expansion plan.
“The NY-Sun Initiative puts New York at the forefront of
solar development and research, creating green jobs while containing energy
costs for consumers," Governor Cuomo said. “This clean energy investment
will help protect the environment, expand our solar capacity, and lead to a
longterm reduction of the cost of solar in New York."
Last April the Public Service Commission approved NYSERDA’s
request to double funding for customer-sited solar electric systems, known as a
solar photovoltaic (PV) energy systems, to $432 million over the next four
years. The expanded solar program will increase financial incentives for large,
commercial-sized PV projects and expand incentive programs for small-to-medium
residential and commercial systems.
NYSERDA will also provide additional funding for its
competitively bid solar program for larger-scale and aggregated systems that
currently focuses on businesses, colleges and universities, and other large
buildings located in New York City, Westchester and the lower Hudson Valley.
The program, which is now offering $30 million and accepting applications,
provides another important strategy to deal with the demand for electricity in
the Downstate metropolitan area and will be expanded to other areas of the
state.
As part of NY-Sun, NYSERDA and NYPA are collaborating in a
NY-Sun balance-of-system (BOS) initiative, working with private and public
partners across New York State, and building on the BOS advancements made by
the City University of New York (CUNY) and the efforts underway in the PV
Manufacturing Consortium.
The NY-Sun BOS initiative focuses on statewide
standardization and streamlining of the procedures for permitting and
interconnection, and development and training. A broad range of demonstration
projects will be conducted that represent residential, commercial and
industrial applications. NYSERDA and NYPA plan to partner with other public and private
entities in this effort, including utilities, equipment vendors, solar
installers, and localities across New York State.
In support of NY-Sun BOS, NYPA’s new efforts include
expanding its current solar research and demonstration programs through its
recently announced Solar Market Acceleration Program (Solar MAP), which will
make competitive funding available for innovative solar technology research,
training and demonstration projects and cost reduction strategies.
To make solar affordable for residents and businesses,
NYSERDA and NYPA are providing at least $40 million dollars to promote research
into reducing the overall equipment and installation costs so that in the
future solar energy is competitive with other forms of electricity and will
require no government subsidies.
In addition, the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) is
implementing a first-of-its-kind program in New York State to purchase up to 50
megawatts of solar power that is generated on its customers’ premises. Under
this plan, the owner of the PV system is paid a fixed rate by LIPA for every
solar kilowatt hour generated over a 20-year term.
U.S. Representative Paul Tonko said, “Investments in solar
and clean energy technologies have clear dividends. They create jobs and grow
our state’s economy. Today’s announcement shows that the future for solar is as
bright as ever in New York State and the Capital Region. I commend Governor
Cuomo for advancing policies that promote clean energy innovation, create jobs,
protect the environment while cutting our dependence on foreign oil.”
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