The New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA) has an ambitious plan for 2011, which includes fully funding the state’s goal of installing 5,000 megawatts of solar by 2025 and 2,000 MWs of solar thermal by 2020. To get there, the group is supporting legislation which would make its goals possible in 2011 and beyond.

Chief among NYSEIA’s policy goals for 2011 are passing the New York Solar Jobs Act and legislation supporting solar thermal energy, like solar hot water heaters, in New York, said NYSEIA President Ron Kamen.

Like many state legislatures across the country, New York’s state legislature will see a crop of new faces in 2011, including incoming Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo (D). “Both parties across the board are interested in solar and want to roll this out” said Kamen. “Gov.-elect Cuomo, says that he’s supporting solar too.”

The proposed solar jobs act, is projected to create $20 billion in economic return and more than 22,000 jobs over the next 15 years, NYSEIA said. It said the legislation would add about 39 cents a month on average residential utility bills. “On the photovoltaic side, passing the solar industry development and jobs act,…is our top priority goal” Kamen said.

The proposed legislation would make sure that 5,000 MWs of solar are incentivized by the state. Of that 1,000 MWs would be reserved for residential and small small commercial. “Another 1,000 megawatts can include residential and small commercial, but at that point they compete with some larger projects, under the proposed legislation” Kamen said. The remaining 3,000 MWs would be reserved for larger photovoltaic projects, he added.

On the solar thermal side, the organization is pushing to make sure that 2,000 MWs of solar thermal hot water systems to replace oil and natural gas hot water heaters by 2020. It also is working to ensure the success of New York’s first solar thermal incentive program which passed earlier this year and is providing $25 million over five years to help New Yorkers to convert from electric hot water to solar hot water.

In recent years, New York’s General Assembly has gotten into fights that spilled out across national news media, but with expressed support from both sides some legislation is likely to get passed. “We’re hopeful they can all come together and pass some significant legislation that will get the initiatives we talked about in place” Kamen said.