There’s plenty of sunlight to go around in the Hudson Valley. Now, a new program promises to harness the sun and bring solar power to communities across the state through a community choice solar program.

Jessica Stromback is CEO of Joule Assets, which is helping to light up the Hudson Valley. She has spent her career working to bring renewable energy into people’s homes.

"I've been in this industry a long time. It is a real challenge to really make sure something benefits everyone," said Stromback.

Joule Assets is working to bring a program called Community Solar Opt-Out to New York neighbors. It allows municipal leaders to get moving on solar energy for their localities, rather than wait for individual households.

Residents can opt-out of the program at any time.

"We will be able to move most of the residents onto solar projects, or a large number of residents, onto solar projects, starting with the low-income residents," Stromback said.

Starting early next year, neighbors In Marbletown, Beacon and Phillipstown may notice the benefits of energy from the sun and solar panel arrays. The company estimates residents could see up to a 10% drop in utility bills.

"What's great about it is these types of programs really allow solar, and this huge transition toward renewables in New York State to benefit everyone," said Stromback. "So you don’t have to be wealthy, you don’t have to be knowledgeable about solar, you don’t have to take any action on your part and you can still benefit."

The business is pushing for New York state regulators to continue to support programs that help communities transition to renewable energy.

The company has ambitious future plans for expansion from the Hudson Valley to Western New York and the Finger Lakes.

"We have a lot of investment to make and a lot of work to do in the fight against climate change, and we need to do that in a way that really benefits normal people, because without that, we’ll never get there," Stromback said.