Renewable energy advocates gathered at the Utica office of State Senator Joseph Griffo on Tuesday.

Jessica Azulay, Executive Director of the Alliance for a Green Economy, says community solar projects throughout New York state are being hurt by the state's complicated pricing policy.

She says Value of Distributed Energy Resources is shutting everyday New Yorkers out of the solar energy market.

Griffo has introduced a bill that would stop the changes in net metering for solar energy and put a three-year moratorium on those changes.

Azulay says New York is already missing out on millions of dollars worth of solar project investment and jobs in the solar energy sector due to the policy.

Leigh and Doris Portner, lifelong Rome residents, attended the news conference.  Portner is is building a community solar array on his land

The Portner’s solar farm covers 15 acres and will be completed in the fall.  It will benefit 400 residents in the region with clean, lower-cost electricity.

Azulay says without Griffo's  legislation, the Portner’s project could be one of the last community solar projects built in New York

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