June 1st, 2022
Contact: info@publicpowerny.org
Aaron Eisenberg, (914)980-9117
Today, the New York State Senate passed the Build Public Renewables Act (A1466/S6453). The bill guarantees that New York will meet the goal of a 70% renewable energy grid statewide by 2030, as mandated by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), by expanding the ability of the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to build and sell low-cost renewable energy. The Build Public Renewables Act will add billions to the state’s economy, and add thousands of good-paying union jobs as New York builds out its renewable future.
Now all eyes turn to the Assembly and Speaker Carl Heastie. The Build Public Renewables Act has the most cosponsors and supporters of any climate bill in the New York State Assembly. There is no reason or excuse to delay. At a time when utility bills are higher than ever, New York must pass the BPRA giving one million low- and moderate-income households across the state much needed relief in the form of a 50% utility bill decrease.
With the Senate’s passage, the only path to ensuring New York not only meets our CLCPA mandate, but the scale of what is needed to address the climate crisis as determined by the most recent IPCC report is by passing the Build Public Renewables Act.
Anything less, is climate denial and a continuation of what UN Secretary General António Guterres calls, “an atlas of human suffering and damning indictment of failed climate leadership.” We have said it before, and now we say it again to you Speaker Carl Heastie, the choice is yours: Build or Burn.
Quotes in support of Build Public Renewables passing this year:
“If we are ever to meet our 2030 renewable energy goals, established by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), our state must commit to more renewable energy generation. We simply cannot afford to prolong the inevitable, by prioritizing further fossil fuel investments. NYPA must be empowered to own and build-out renewable energy projects. But we cannot reasonably accomplish this without a plan to get there. The Build Public Renewables Act is part of the solution. The ability to provide low-cost, renewable NYPA power to more consumers is a win for the environment, and for the pocketbooks of families throughout New York,” said Assemblywoman Sarah Clark.
“There is urgency right now,” said Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas at a rally yesterday in Albany. “We have livelihoods ahead of us to think about. We have a long way to go and if we don’t act today or Thursday, then our future is at stake. Literally.”
”The Build Public Renewables Act is the most supported, the most sponsored climate bill in the New York State Assembly and Senate. We know there are not enough [renewable energy] projects in the pipeline right now to meet the CLCPA goals and if we think we are actually going to solve this catastrophe that is coming upon us very very quickly there is only one rationale thing we can do and that’s put the weight of the state of New York behind building publicly owned and operated renewable energy,” said Assembly Member Robert Carroll
“This has been a long fight and we need to keep pushing forward,” said Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon. “What I don’t want is for the CLCPA to be a big leap we’ve fallen back from. The reality is we’ve been taking baby steps for a long time and in the last three years we haven’t taken any steps. We will not have a planet if we don’t do this.”
“It lays the groundwork for the 100% renewable, democratically controlled, publicly owned energy system New York needs in order to meet the goals of the landmark Climate Leadership and Community Protection Action and lead the nation on climate. The New York Power Authority has proven itself by providing the most affordable energy in New York State,” said Senator Robert Jackson.
For more information please contact us at: info@publicpowerny.org
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