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ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York state has seen a significant increase in solar power in the last three years.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo says Monday that installed solar power generation tripled since 2011. That's just more than twice the rate of the entire U.S. over the same period.
While solar power remains a relatively small source of electricity in the state, the governor says the rapid growth reflects state efforts to encourage renewable energy.
Cuomo says more affordable solar technology and a larger number of businesses that can install solar technology are also boosting the numbers.
New York, which for years lagged other states in solar installations, ranked seventh in the nation for the amount of solar energy capacity in 2014. That's up from ninth the year before.