Con Edison to Customers: Let the Sun Shine In

NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 01/28/09 -- Con Edison engineers are helping customers go green and save money with New York State's new net metering law, which encourages the development of green energy sources, such as solar panels, and allows the customer to sell excess electricity back to utilities.

One of Con Edison's first and largest net metering customers is the innovative Brooklyn design and consulting firm -- Big Sue LLC -- the first net metered non-residential customer on the company's network (underground) distribution system. Called "Big Sue," the project is a 40 kW solar array that supplies power to a building and its commercial tenants at 925 Bergen St. and 1024 Dean St., in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn.

"Big Sue" could be the largest installation in the country to be net metered on a network grid. Company engineers are leading the industry in overcoming the challenges of connecting net metered power to a network system. Several other customers are eyeing larger net meter systems in New York City and Westchester County.

"Con Edison encourages customers like Big Sue to find innovative ways to be energy efficient and provide clean, renewable energy while connected to our grid," said John Mucci, Con Edison's vice president of engineering and planning.

"Con Edison has been a leader in implementing the new net metering rules and been very helpful in enabling us to net meter our 40 kW installation so we can realize the maximum value of our installation -- even prior to the law requiring implementation," said Susan Boyle and Benton Brown, owners of Big Sue, LLC.

The company has engineers dedicated to assisting customers and their contractors with installation of solar projects and other renewable systems, Mucci added.

In addition to the New York State Energy Research and Development Association (NYSERDA) incentives which helped to fund the Big Sue installation, the state net metering law, New York City property tax credits, and the extension of federal tax incentives are expected to increase the installation of solar systems.

The U.S. Department of Energy has projected that solar power has the potential to be the largest contributor -- up to 28 percent -- of the nation's renewable energy portfolio. New York City highlights solar in PlaNYC -- a vision for a greener, cleaner city.

Con Edison and New York City's Economic Development Corporation have been working with the Department of Energy's National Renewable Electric Laboratories to address the company's unique distribution system and the technical issues associated with connecting renewable energy and expanding customer options to go green.

"Con Edison's leadership in promoting the expanded net metering law supports New York City's PlaNYC goal of increasing New York City's clean power supply. It also helps build demand for solar in the City which should bring down prices and help the local solar industry to grow," said Jim Gallagher, Senior Vice President, Energy Policy, New York City Economic Development Corporation.

For more information about connecting solar and other renewable energy projects to the Con Edison system, visit www.conEd.com/dg

Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE: ED), one of the nation's largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $14 billion in annual revenues and $33 billion in assets. The utility provides electric, gas and steam service to more than 3 million customers in New York City and Westchester County, New York. For additional financial, operations and customer service information, visit Con Edison's Web site at www.coned.com.