The Long Island Power Authority CEO Carrie Meek Gallagher and Suffolk County, N.Y., Executive Ed Romaine announced a new partnership to evaluate the potential for large-scale solar energy development across major industrial areas in Suffolk County.
Through a newly developed Request for Qualifications (RFQ), LIPA will retain a consultant to conduct a comprehensive analysis of Suffolk County’s industrial solar opportunities, examining rooftop solar potential, interconnection considerations, and opportunities to streamline permitting and deployment across key industrial zones.
The effort builds upon a longstanding collaboration between LIPA and Suffolk County to advance clean energy projects that support grid reliability, customer affordability, and local economic growth.
The analysis will focus on several of Suffolk County’s most significant industrial and transit-oriented areas, including the Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge, the Route 110 Corridor, the Heartland Business Center in Brentwood, the MacArthur Business Park, Brookhaven Rail Terminal, and Wyandanch.
“By working collaboratively to assess feasibility, streamline processes, and engage stakeholders early, LIPA and Suffolk County are setting the stage for scalable projects that can deliver clean energy, economic benefits, and grid support,” said Gallagher. “This partnership reflects LIPA’s commitment to advancing clean energy solutions in a way that is practical, cost-effective, and supportive of system reliability."
The study will assess building-specific rooftop solar potential using geospatial and engineering analysis, evaluate existing grid infrastructure and interconnection capacity, and explore new models that allow multiple buildings to participate in coordinated or aggregated solar projects. It will also include stakeholder engagement with local municipalities, property owners, and industrial park associations to identify regulatory and market barriers, and recommend policy and process improvements. Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine emphasized the economic and environmental benefits of the initiative.
“Suffolk County has long been a leader in advancing smart, sustainable development,” Romaine said. “This collaboration with LIPA will help unlock the potential of our industrial areas to support clean energy, reduce operating costs for businesses, and create a more resilient energy future for our communities.”
LIPA Board Chair Tracey Edwards noted that the initiative aligns with LIPA’s broader strategic priorities. “This work underscores LIPA’s role in planning and coordination, bringing together local government, industry, and clean energy stakeholders to identify solutions that work for Long Island,” Edwards said. “Thoughtful deployment of distributed solar resources can deliver real benefits when it is done in a way that supports reliability and reflects local conditions.”
Industry leaders also welcomed the partnership as a model for advancing commercial and industrial solar development. “Industrial rooftops represent one of the most promising and underutilized opportunities for solar in New York,” said Noah Ginsburg, Executive Director of the New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA)“By taking a data-driven approach to evaluating rooftop solar across Suffolk County’s industrial centers, we can identify opportunities that reduce barriers for businesses, strengthen the grid, and help meet New York State’s clean energy objectives while keeping affordability front and center.”
Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters said, “Industrial rooftops hold enormous potential for solar energy on Long Island, and by using data-driven analysis to identify and streamline the most promising opportunities, Suffolk County and LIPA are showing what scalable, cost-effective clean energy development looks like. We applaud Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine and LIPA CEO Carrie Meek Gallagher for their vision and commitment to cleaner air and a healthier future for Long Island."
“There is enormous potential to deploy solar power across Long Island. This initiative will help maximize solar power’s potential, reduce our dependency on aging power plants and reduce air emissions. Increasing solar power is good economic and environmental policy,” said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “Kudos to SC Executive Ed Romaine and LIPA in advancing this critical initiative.”
The process recommendations that will emerge from this analysis are essential to unlocking the full potential of large-scale commercial and industrial solar development in Suffolk County, LIPA said.
"By identifying practical, actionable pathways to streamline permitting, interconnection, and multi-building project coordination, the study will help reduce costs, shorten development timelines, and remove long-standing barriers that have slowed solar deployment in industrial areas. These process improvements are vital to enabling businesses to participate more efficiently in clean energy projects while ensuring grid reliability, supporting local economic activity, and advancing New York State’s clean energy goals in a thoughtful, scalable manner," LIPA said.
The selected consultant will deliver a final feasibility report outlining recommended actions, implementation pathways, and potential pilot projects in one or more industrial areas.
The project is expected to commence in March 2026.
