The goal of the NYC Solar America City Initiative is to reduce barriers to solar throughout New York City, support the installation of 8.1MW of PV by 2015, and to create a long-term solar plan that will encourage widespread solar adoption throughout New York City. Recent studies have estimated that New York’s existing buildings could host between 6,000 and 8,000 megawatts of solar power – enough to supply over 20% of the City’s current electricity demand but technical and financial barriers remain. Large-scale development of solar energy in New York City would also reduce air pollution, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, create green collar jobs, and lower the risk of future blackouts by helping to reduce demand for electricity on New York City’s grid.