In the aftermath of back-to-back hurricanes that reached New York City this summer, Gov. Kathy Hochul has made climate policy a priority for her administration, announcing a new 10-GW target on Monday for the state’s already successful solar program.

“Hurricane Henri dumped nearly 2 inches of rain on Central Park in an hour and broke all records — shattered them,” she said during the opening ceremony of this year’s Climate Week NYC. “This was a once-in-a-500-year event, and 10 days later, we had over 3 inches dumped in Central Park in an hour [from Hurrican Ida], and our city was flooded.”

What she saw after the flooding subsided, she said, has made her “intent” on getting climate policy right.

“I walked down an alleyway, and I saw people just picking up the pieces of their lives — the ones who were lucky enough to have survived,” she said. Eighteen New Yorkers died from the effects of Hurricane Ida.

As part of a package of announcements “to accelerate the transition into a cleaner, greener future,” Hochul said New York is “going all in on solar” and expanding the state’s NY-Sun program from 6 GW in 2025 to 10 GW in 2030.

The state is on track to fulfill the 6-GW target early, she said. NY-Sun provides financial incentives for the installation of solar panels for residential, nonresidential, large commercial and industrial, and community solar projects. Currently, installed distributed solar projects, combined with the projects that are under development, bring the state to 95% of the current 6-GW goal, the governor’s office said in a statement.

Hochul directed the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to develop a distributed solar roadmap this fall to reach the new goal. NYSERDA will file the roadmap with the Public Service Commission, and it will be open for public comment in early 2022, according to the governor’s office.

As part of the expanded NY-Sun program, Hochul said at least 35% of the benefits from the program investments will go to disadvantaged communities and low- to moderate-income residents.

“Crucially, this announcement also emphasizes the importance of ensuring that the benefits of a continued buildout and scale-up of rooftop and community solar in New York flow to individuals and communities that need it the most, namely low- and moderate-income communities and those affected by environmental justice issues,” Shyam Mehta, executive director of the New York Solar Energy Industries Association, said in a statement.

NY-Sun is administered under the state’s $6 billion Clean Energy Fund. The Public Service Commission approved an order on Aug. 9 that adopts a new goal for the fund to deliver 40% of benefits of spending to disadvantaged communities. (See NY Adopts Goal for Disadvantaged Communities Under Clean Energy Fund.)

Sunrun CEO Mary Powell applauded the new goal for the solar program.

“This expansion shows the state’s commitment to providing equitable access to clean energy options like rooftop solar and batteries as a critical component of meeting the requirements of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act,” she said in a statement to NetZero Insider. “New Yorkers expect strong leadership to address climate change while also creating economic opportunities across the state, and Gov. Hochul is delivering on both.”

During the opening ceremony, Hochul also announced the selection of two transmission projects under the state’s Clean Energy Standard Tier 4 request for proposals. The projects are design to connect hydropower, solar and wind resources in Canada and upstate New York to New York City. (See related story, Two Transmission Projects Selected to Bring Low-carbon Power to NYC.)