My first encounter with the solar energy movement occurred when the tenants' association of Cabrini Terrace approached me to ask if I would carry legislation to restructure state tax credits in a way that would make the solar energy credit relevant to co-ops and condominiums. This tax credit is applied against a building's property taxes, offsetting the cost of installing a solar power system, and is intended to encourage residents to reduce their reliance on our electric power grid.

The rooftop of Cabrini Terrace, shown just after the building's solar power system was activated. Pictured from left to right are: Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer; former Assemblyman Paul Tonko, who at the time of this photo was head of NYSERDA and is now a Congressman representing upstate New York; Sen. Eric Schneiderman; Sophia Farrell; and Assemblyman Farrell. Photo courtesy The Manhattan Times.

In August 2008 the Governor signed into law the second piece of solar energy legislation it was my pleasure to sponsor, which itself built on my initial legislation that became law during 2007. Since my initial bill became law, other public officials have introduced numerous pieces of solar energy legislation, including about a dozen bills now being considered in the Assembly.

Previously, the tax credit was set up in a way that only made sense for the owners of single-family homes to participate, allowing these homeowners to get a tax credit for generating only up to 10 kilowatts. The revised law allows larger buildings with solar arrays to generate up to 50 kilowatts, and allows management associations and tenant stockholders to claim a proportionate share of the installation expense based on the number of participating units in their building. At Cabrini Terrace, which is at 190th Street and Cabrini Boulevard, the peak output from the solar panels generates 10 percent of the electricity used in the building, enough to power the elevators, light the hallways, and run the laundry room. Please see the picture on this page, taken in January 2008, in which my four-year-old daughter is flipping the switch which activated Cabrini Terrace's solar power system. Considering that she is the future, I thought that it was appropriate that she usher in the future.

Building on that success, in 2008 I introduced legislation allowing New York City to make multi-family buildings and other structures eligible to apply for city solar tax credits. The city solar tax credit deducts $62,500 from property tax bills each year for up to four years on a sliding scale, depending on when the solar system is installed, in addition to the New York State tax credits and any state grants the project may be eligible for. Currently, the board of the building in which I live, River Arts, at Riverside Drive and 160th Street, is preparing to participate in the solar energy programs. Our shareholders voted in April to move forward with the solar project, which we anticipate will help manage our energy costs while reducing our building's level of carbon emissions.

If you, or your tenants' association, are considering the possibility of supplementing or replacing your building's power supply with a photovoltaic system, there are a number of avenues for you to explore. The New York State tax credit is administered by the Department of Taxation and Finance (www.tax.state.ny.us); call (518) 457-5181. The New York City credit is administered by the Department of Buildings (www.nyc.gov/html/dob); call (212) 442-1239.

It is said that a resource New York City has in abundance, besides energy and ideas, is rooftops. We have thousands of buildings, some of which are topped by communications equipment or patios while others are put to no good use at all. Why can't we use those rooftops as places to generate clean electricity for our homes or monitor the air that we breathe? As some of you may know, efforts to do just that are already underway, and I am proud to be part of this.

Over a year ago, I was approached by the owners of a cooperative apartment building in Washington Heights who laid out for me a bold and innovative plan: they wanted to harness the power of the sun to supplement the electricity their building draws from our overburdened power grid. I took up their cause and, a few months later, was pleased to announce passage of a bill that would allow co-ops to enroll in a program to receive tax credits for generating solar power.

I thought that was an excellent idea and was glad to help it become a reality. Now, other similar ideas have been proposed and the seed that was planted on that day in January when the co-op's solar system was first turned on could lead to a major change in the way we live our lives in New York City.

Assemblyman Farrell, at center, speaks with officials charged with monitoring the ongoing reconstruction of the Mother Clara Hale Bus Depot. This rooftop, at 108 West 146^th Street, is one of the sites chosen for an air quality monitor that will test for any pollutants that could escape from the site during construction. So far, none have been found, but testing will continue. Pictured from left to right are MTA liaison Marcus Book, Charles Calloway of WE ACT, NYC Transit engineer Joseph Dinarim, Assemblyman Farrell, Meyer Stender of NYC Transit and activist Ruth Rudder.

Another pro-environment issue I am pleased to be involved with is what some call the "green buildings" trend. A green building is specially designed to minimize its impact on our environment by using solar energy, generating less radiant heat, making use of natural rainwater and other common-sense improvements to construction methods that are already in use.

One example of a green building in northern Manhattan will be the Mother Clara Hale Bus Depot, a 100-year-old building which is currently being renovated by the MTA. My staff and I are working with MTA and the public to be sure this project includes "green" features, and that all are satisfied by the end result of this renovation. This process will include a number of public meetings, or charettes, during which we want to hear your thoughts about the project.

We all know that a picture is worth a thousand words, so on this page are several photos that will tell you quite a lot about my efforts to be a steward of the environment here in Northern Manhattan. Shown here is a photo taken as I met with a group of engineers, activists and MTA staff near the Mother Hale terminal, at a site where air quality is sampled to be sure that the ongoing renovation of this building does not release pollution that could jeopardize our health.