Long Island Unified Permit Initiative

About the Program

Category: Community and Economic Development (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

As the public begins to demand for eco-friendly initiatives, county governments are constantly looking for ways to increase their environmental consciousness. Land use decisions, including solar permitting, take place at the local town and village level. As an exurb of New York City, Suffolk County continues to grow, with 1.5 million residents now exceeding the population of 12 states. Land use decisions, including solar permitting, take place at the local level. With 10 Towns and 33 Villages, there are a variety of permitting processes and zoning regulations. Recognizing that the largest impediment to scaling up solar in Suffolk County was the permitting process, the Suffolk County Planning Commission and the Long Island Power Authority launched the Long Island Unified Solar Permit Initiative (LIUSPI). Suffolk County’s Departments of Economic Development and Planning spearheaded the development of a model process that could be used by all municipalities throughout Long Island to effectively and uniformly handle the application for and approval of residential solar electric and solar hot water systems in each respective jurisdiction. As a result, all ten towns in Suffolk have adopted LIUSPI.