New Solar Panels at Historic Brooklyn Army Terminal to Power Sunset Park Community
Sunset Park Solar is a Community-led Collaboration between NYCEDC and Local Climate Justice Organization, UPROSE, with Developer Partner, Working Power
Sunset Park Renters and Homeowners that Subscribe may Expect Discounts of up to 20 Percent on Electricity Bills
BROOKLYN, NY—New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), UPROSE, and Working Power today announced the development of Sunset Park Solar, a project to bring clean, reliable, and affordable solar energy to Sunset Park residents and businesses. The 725 kilowatt (kW) solar array will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, alleviate energy burdens, and protect low-income households from energy price fluctuations. Over its lifetime, the project will deliver $1.24 million in energy bill savings to approximately 150 households.
The solar array will be co-owned by UPROSE and Working Power, ensuring community control and leadership in the project’s governance and benefits. Beyond providing bill savings, the revenue generated by the community solar array will be directed into a community wealth fund that allows Sunset Park residents to allocate resources to projects based on their priorities, such as funding additional solar initiatives. This model reflects UPROSE’s commitment to building community resilience, equity, and a Just Transition to a regenerative economy led by frontline communities. In addition, this project will support the neighborhood's green economy in the construction and maintenance of the solar array.
Construction of the solar array, led by Working Power, is set to begin in early 2025. The project will create job opportunities for local residents, supporting workforce development in Sunset Park’s emerging clean energy economy.
Located on the roof of Building B at the Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT), the 45,000-square-foot installation will provide access to solar power generation for subscribing households. Subscribers will see savings directly on their Con Edison bills, which will reflect their share of the solar energy produced.
“The Sunset Park Solar project is tremendous, and I congratulate EDC and UPROSE on this exciting collaboration,” said First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. “This project will further activate the Brooklyn Army Terminal, deliver clean energy to Sunset Park, and set a citywide model for advancing an equitable and sustainable green economy.”
“The Brooklyn Army Terminal continues to serve as a shining example of the future of New York City’s green economy, from being the future home for the Climate Innovation Hub to our Pilots at BAT program to the introduction of Sunset Park Solar,” said NYCEDC President & CEO Andrew Kimball. “We are thrilled to work with UPROSE and the Sunset Park community to develop the city’s first community-led solar initiative and is a testament to the ingenuity and resiliency of New Yorkers.”
“At UPROSE, we have always known that real climate justice is built on the leadership and vision of frontline communities,” said Elizabeth Yeampierre, Executive Director of UPROSE. “The launch of Sunset Park Solar represents years of grassroots organizing, visionary leadership, and a commitment to a Just Transition led by the people who call this neighborhood home. We are deeply grateful to our partners, Working Power and EDC, for their collaboration in creating the infrastructure needed to address the urgent demands of the climate crisis. Anchored by the work of our Climate Justice Center, this project is a bold step forward in decarbonizing Sunset Park and will serve as a blueprint for frontline communities across the country. It’s also a powerful reminder that the most effective solutions to the climate crisis are led by those who are most impacted. By centering these voices, we can ensure a just and equitable transition to a green future—and UPROSE is proud to continue leading this critical work.”
“We are thrilled to support UPROSE by co-developing and co-owning this community solar project, demonstrating a model for equitable development that is community-centered,” said Working Power, co-Executive Director Ian Fischer. “We are also grateful for the collaboration with NYCEDC in supporting this community-led project.”
Sunset Park’s waterfront district in South Brooklyn, with its rich industrial history, robust infrastructure, diverse tenants, and strategic access to major transportation networks, is uniquely positioned to serve as a hub for clean energy and sustainable manufacturing. Key assets managed by NYCEDC—including the Brooklyn Army Terminal (BAT), the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal (SBMT), where construction recently began, and the MADE Bush Terminal Campus—offer opportunities to align economic development with community-led climate solutions. Building on decades of grassroots organizing by UPROSE and local residents, these assets have the potential to drive innovation, decarbonize the community, and support a just transition in Sunset Park.
The installation of Sunset Park Solar marks a significant step toward expanding clean energy access for local residents while advancing broader sustainability goals aligned with Mayor Adams’ Green Economy Action Plan. BAT is set to host the future Climate Innovation Hub, a 112,000-square-foot facility designed to support business development, incubation, and research commercialization. Over the next decade, the hub aims to support 150 startups and create workforce development opportunities for the local community, backed by an up to $100 million request for proposals (RFP) issued earlier this year. Additionally, through its Pilots at BAT program, NYCEDC has been able to test emerging technologies for climate innovation, advancing public sector partnerships that support and scale promising solutions for communities and the future of the city’s economy.
BAT is home to 125 industrial businesses that collectively employ 4,000 New Yorkers. In the last ten years, NYCEDC has invested $270 million at BAT to bring new leasable space online, improve open space, common areas, and campus infrastructure. NYCEDC is investing nearly $200 million to upgrade the BAT campus to modernize its buildings, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in compliance with Local Law 97, and provide more amenities for workers and visitors.
“Renewable energy sources—like solar and wind power—are critical in combating the climate crisis while lowering energy costs and making us more energy independent,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “I applaud the New York City EDC and UPROSE for their efforts to bring more local solar energy generation to our families in Sunset Park. Through these various projects, we can lead the nation in our efforts to generate emissions-free energy.”
“At a time when working Brooklynites are struggling to make ends meet, Sunset Park Solar is a crucial project for ensuring that our neighbors in Sunset Park see their energy costs offset,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “Solar energy has the potential to bring down energy bills and improve environmental conditions, and I am so glad that Sunset Park is leading the way for a cleaner and cheaper Brooklyn. I thank NYCEDC for the development of Sunset Park Solar and UPROSE and Working Power for ensuring that this project is community led. I look forward to seeing more green projects that will bring down energy costs and reduce emissions throughout Brooklyn.”
“This is exactly the kind of community-driven project New York needs as we transition to a sustainable energy system that works for all of us,” said New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “Sunset Park Solar reduces emissions and gives Sunset Park neighbors and businesses access to clean, affordable energy they can rely on. It also builds on our efforts to make the Brooklyn Army Terminal home to a climate innovation hub, and ensure the Terminal offers southern Brooklyn residents' access to jobs, resources and opportunities to thrive.”
About NYCEDC
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that works for a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive economy for all New Yorkers. We take a comprehensive approach, through four main strategies: strengthen confidence in NYC as a great place to do business; grow innovative sectors with a focus on equity; build neighborhoods as places to live, learn, work, and play; and deliver sustainable infrastructure for communities and the city's future economy. To learn more about what we do, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
About UPROSE
Founded in 1966, UPROSE is Brooklyn’s oldest Latino community-based organization. We are an intergenerational, multiracial, and matriarchal community organization working at the intersection of racial and climate justice. Through community organizing, education, indigenous and youth leadership development, and cultural/artistic expression, we work to ensure a just transition to a greener and brighter future for frontline communities, particularly Sunset Park. At the core of our work is advocacy for meaningful community engagement, participatory community planning practices, and sustainable development rooted in justice and governmental accountability. As lead advocates for climate justice, UPROSE views just urban policy—ranging from transportation to open space—as the heart of climate adaptation and community resilience. To learn more about what we do, please visit our website, Bluesky, Instagram, and TikTok.
About Working Power
Working Power (WP) is a project development and financing platform that connects frontline communities with impact investors to help build wealth and power through climate solutions. We partner with community-based organizations, small businesses, and labor organizations to co-develop and co-own clean energy assets that center economic and racial justice. WP projects are locally owned and directed, support wealth building, and generate revenue to fund community priorities. We are committed to creating high quality jobs, more resilient local economies, and investing in climate solutions at the scale of our national challenge. To learn more about what we do, visit us on our website and LinkedIn.
