The Common Council is expected to vote down the initial proposal for an application to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority program for solar panels at City Hall.

The grant was supposed to fund the bulk of the cost of panels on the building’s roof, but a decrease in how much the state would chip in could put a hold on the city’s concept.

The council had a work session on the program last month, then tabled the legislation for answers to questions raised at the session.

In the meantime, the state changed the funding for the program. Originally, if the city were approved, the state would have covered $120,000 of the $156,000 proposal, which is for panels that would generate a total of 24 kilowatts. The city planned to offset the remainder of the cost with additional grants. The estimated annual energy savings for the city is $3,500 a year, which would have taken nine years to cover with energy cost savings even if the city was unable to get additional grants and had to pay the $36,000 balance of the installation.

Then the state decreased the amount it would contribute, increasing the time it would take for the city to recover its costs through energy savings.

The city could wait to see if the state will increase its contribution under the 2010 version of the program and then consider a new application.

The council will meet at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall.