New York’s expanding rooftop and small-scale solar capacity is reshaping electricity demand by reducing midday reliance on the grid while creating a much steeper rise in demand during the late afternoon and evening. Since 2018, the state has added 5.6 gigawatts of solar capacity, with roughly half coming from small-scale systems that are not directly metered by utilities, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

The EIA says the impact is especially noticeable during March and April, when strong solar output coincides with relatively low electricity demand. Morning grid demand, which increased by an average of 850 megawatts between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. in 2018, has shifted to an average decline of 923 megawatts in 2026. Meanwhile, evening demand between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. has surged from an average increase of 681 megawatts in 2018 to 2,221 megawatts in 2026, requiring grid operators to rapidly ramp up other power sources as solar generation fades.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR