NYSERDA incentive programs
NYSERDA's NY-Sun, energy storage and Large-Scale Renewables programs attach New York prevailing wage to projects of 1 MW (AC) and up, with the NY Department of Labor enforcing it and a Prevailing Wage Adder of $0.125 to $0.20 per watt for solar projects that comply. Since December 30, 2024 every contractor and subcontractor on a covered project must also be registered with NY DOL.
Four programs, one prevailing wage obligation.
Each NYSERDA program sets its own coverage test, but the obligation is the same: a Project Labor Agreement or the local prevailing wage for every laborer, workman and mechanic on site, from the first day of site work until the utility grants Permission to Operate.
| Program | Who must comply | Adder | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| NY-Sun Solar PVAdjustable Block Program; Con Edison, Long Island and Upstate regions | Solar of 1 MW (AC) or more with an interconnection application after April 14, 2022; earlier applicants that opt in for the adder; 1 MW (AC) or more with RECs procured by a public agency; projects procured by a government agency or over $5 million with at least 30% public funding. | Con Edison $0.20 per watt Upstate $0.125 per watt Long Island not eligible | Quarterly contractor verification of certified payroll plus a quarterly certification by a NY-licensed CPA, submitted with the invoice for the Commercial Operation payment. |
| Residential and Retail Energy StorageRetail up to 5 MW (AC) and residential; NYC, Con Edison Westchester and Rest of State blocks | Storage of 1 MW (AC) or more; 1 MW (AC) or more with public-agency RECs; government-procured or over $5 million with at least 30% public funding. Exempt under 1 MW (AC) or if awarded before Block 5 (Rest of State), Block 6 (NYC) or Block 2 (Con Edison Westchester). | Not stated in the guide | Contractor verification of certified payroll. A quarterly CPA certification is not explicitly required but may be requested by NYSERDA or by a funding agreement. |
| Bulk Energy StorageProposed program; 5 MW (AC) and larger; 3,000 MW goal by 2030 | All participating projects pay NYS prevailing wage to all construction workers. Requirements build on the Large-Scale Renewables language and may be elaborated. | Not stated in the guide | Quarterly certifications by a NY-licensed CPA. |
| Large-Scale RenewablesTier 1 REC contracts, typically 20 years; Labor Law Section 224-d | All awarded projects. Possible exceptions: all construction under a PLA, or under 1 MW (AC), which rarely applies to Tier 1 awards. | Con Edison $0.20 per watt Upstate $0.125 per watt Long Island not eligible | Quarterly contractor verification of certified payroll. Enforcement sits with the NY DOL Bureau of Prevailing Wage; NYSERDA does not review wage documentation unless specified. |
What every covered contractor must do.
The guidance below is common to the NYSERDA programs. On-site construction includes clearing, grubbing, grading, staging, installation, erection and placement of the facility and its storage component, electrical interconnection, and start-up and commissioning during the construction period.
Source: the NYSERDA guide on dsptch.work/nyserda-clean-energy-incentive-programs. Interest is stated at 16% per annum as of 2025.
- PLA or prevailing wage. Enter into a Project Labor Agreement or pay the proper local prevailing wage to all laborers, workmen and mechanics on site.
- Certified payroll for everyone. Collect accurate and truthful certified payroll records for all direct labor and every subcontractor.
- Quarterly verification. An authorized representative verifies each quarter that certified payroll has been obtained for all relevant workers, and a NY-licensed CPA certifies that the records show compliance.
- NY DOL registration. From December 30, 2024, every contractor and subcontractor on a project with prevailing wage requirements must be registered with the New York Department of Labor.
- Article 8 enforcement. Projects submitted to NY-Sun on or after July 1, 2024 are bound by NYS Labor Law Article 8, and NY DOL enforces under Labor Law Section 218. Large-Scale Renewables projects fall under Section 224-d and Article 8, Section 220-b.
Penalties for non-compliance
NY DOL schedules on the job, the adder's conditions met every quarter.
The county schedule from NY DOL is held on the job and applied to each worker's classification, every hour is priced against it the same day, and the certified payroll the CPA certifies each quarter comes from the same record.
Article 8 schedules by county, rate updates synced from NY DOL.
The NY DOL schedule is added to the job with its source and assigned by classification. When NY DOL updates a rate, affected workers are re-rated and the change is logged. A job on the IRA credit holds the federal determination beside it.
Per worker, per week, with the adder in view.
Wage and supplements required against paid, and the Prevailing Wage Adder the project is working toward.
Quarterly CPA certification and NY DOL submissions.
Certified payroll for direct labor and every sub, bundled per quarter for the authorized representative's verification and the CPA's certification, with electronic payroll submissions to NYS DOL.
Every sub registered with NY DOL.
Each contractor and subcontractor on the job carries its NY DOL registration status, so the owner sees a gap before the quarter closes.
No cure window, so the gap is shown the week it opens.
The NYSERDA guide sets no cure period. Interest runs from the date wages were due and the civil penalty scales with the underpayment, so DSPTCH flags each short week as it is priced.
Programs a New York solar job often carries alongside NYSERDA.
Bring one NY-Sun project. We'll show you what the quarter looks like.
On a demo we put the NY DOL schedule on a job, price a worker's week against it, and walk through the certified payroll the CPA will certify.