Community power took on new meaning on Sunday as Sunset Park Solar, New York City’s first community-led solar project, was installed atop the Brooklyn Army Terminal.
Led by UPROSE, Brooklyn’s oldest Latino community-based organization dedicated to climate justice, in partnership with energy developer Working Power, Sunset Park Solar pioneers a model of shared local ownership. The 685 kW solar array, made possible in part through a solar roof lease from the New York City Economic Development Corporation, will provide discounted electricity to local subscribers while supporting a community fund dedicated to neighborhood improvements.
Households and small businesses can sign up to lower their Con Edison bills and invest in a clean, community-driven future. The milestone marks a step toward energy democracy, putting clean energy production directly into the hands of local residents and small businesses, advocates said.
“For frontline communities like ours, pollution isn’t a distant threat, it’s a daily reality. We have lived with the impacts of toxic exposure for generations,” Elizabeth Yeampierre, the executive director of UPROSE said through a statement. “But alongside the harm, we’ve always held the solutions. Sunset Park Solar is one of them—a bold, community-led vision brought to life by years of grassroots organizing , deep engagement and transformative partners."
As utility prices rise and climate disasters increase, Sunset Park Solar offers a tangible model for how frontline communities can reclaim control over energy systems, build economic resilience, and decide how energy is generated and distributed, advocates said.
The installation kickoff event was attended by Yeampierre; Ian Fischer, co-executive director of Working Power; NYC Council Member Alexa Avilés; local residents and community leaders; as well as city and energy justice advocates, who highlighted the project’s significance and its potential as a blueprint for equitable, community-driven climate solutions.
For more information on how to subscribe to the community solar project, email [email protected].
