Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration on Thursday turned a Bronx rooftop into its latest climate calling card, cutting the ribbon on the city’s 130th solar installation at Marie Curie High School. City officials said the milestone is part of a broader push to pack more school roofs with panels while folding climate action directly into classroom life.
New installations and capacity
The administration says the NYC Solar Schools program has delivered roughly 27.5 megawatts of clean generation to date, with another 86 school projects already in the pipeline that would add about 17.2 megawatts, as reported by amNewYork. Those additions build on earlier DCAS announcements that put the city on track to install 100 megawatts of solar on municipal property by 2030 and 150 megawatts by 2035. DCAS has said the model leans on power purchase agreements and interagency partnerships to speed installations without large up‑front capital costs.
Officials tout classroom benefits
At the Marie Curie ribbon cutting, Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said the program “empowers students and reduces environmental impact,” while Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson framed the rooftop buildout as a way to “put every inch of the city to work advancing a green future,” per amNewYork. DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei called the 130th installation a “major step forward” for the city’s decarbonization plan, according to the outlet’s reporting.
How the city is paying for panels
City leaders said many of the rooftop projects are being delivered through public‑private partnerships and long‑term power purchase agreements that shift upfront construction and equipment costs to private developers. The approach keeps the city from having to shell out major capital at the start while still locking in clean power. State players have also been in the mix: the New York Power Authority has supported earlier waves of school and municipal installations, and New York Power Authority and DCAS have previously announced joint solicitations to install rooftop arrays on dozens of school buildings and wastewater sites.
Classrooms as labs
Officials stressed that the panels are meant to double as teaching tools. New York City Public Schools says its solar projects account for over 80% of the city’s progress toward clean‑energy goals, and the district pairs rooftop arrays with curriculum and career and technical education training. NYC Public Schools works with nonprofit partner Solar One on teacher training and career pathways, and Solar One says its Green Design Lab and Solar CTE programs are geared toward preparing students for jobs in the growing green economy.
What’s next
City officials framed the Marie Curie High School project as one more waypoint in a long rollout rather than a finish line, pointing to dozens of additional solar installations now moving through planning and procurement. The Mamdani administration has been pairing school rooftop projects with other clean‑energy efforts across city agencies as part of a larger decarbonization push. Mayor's Office materials highlight a strategy that coordinates solar arrays, heat pumps and broader electrification work across city‑owned properties.
