Press Release
Public Power NY Responds to Speaker Carl Heastie on Long Island
Last night, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie joined Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Steve Englebright for an environmental community forum in Gordon Heights, NY. One attendee, a public school teacher from Centereach, spoke out in support of the Build Public Renewables Act (BPRA). The teacher went on to ask Speaker Heastie to support the bill and to call a special session to pass the BPRA.
Public Power NY Responds to Governor Hochul
Yesterday, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law three climate bills. These three climate bills were not included in the Climate Can’t Wait package of the eleven most consequential climate bills in Albany this past year. While these three bills she signed are positive steps, to describe them as New York answering the Supreme Court and leading on climate, is gaslighting at its finest.
Public Power NY Responds to West Virginia v. EPA Decision
Today, the Supreme Court continued their weeklong assault on democracy by limiting the power of the Federal Government to regulate carbon emissions. This stunning overreach continues the enforcement of minority rule. If we cannot rely on the federal government to monitor and bring down emissions in the climate crisis, our only path forward is leading at the state level.
Public Power NY Statement on Carl Heastie’s Climate Crisis
Despite overwhelmingly passing the NY State Senate, having been amended to neutralize all major opposition outside of fossil fuel profiteers, and having 83 YES votes in favor (well over the 76 necessary for passage), the Build Public Renewables Act (A1466D/S6453C) was prevented from coming to a vote by NY State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who engaged in active climate denial and abandoned his constituents.
New York State Senate Passes the Build Public Renewables Act, All Eyes Turn to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie
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.
New York State Senate Rules Committee Passes the Build Public Renewables Act, Setting New York on Track to Pass History-Making Energy Legislation
Today, after years of grassroots organizing, the New York State Senate Rules Committee 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 as it builds out its renewable future.
Statement from Public Power NY Coalition on Governor Hochul’s State of the State
Despite the Governor symbolically agreeing with the need to be bold, what we heard today were more half measures and claiming the mantle of climate leadership without the facts to back it up.
The State Legislature Fails to Pass Any Major Climate Legislation for Two Years Running
New York’s legislature passed on the opportunity to be the national leader that started the decade of the Green New Deal.
Report: A new era of public power
A vision for New York Power Authority in pursuit of climate justice. This report shows that New York Power Authority (NYPA) is uniquely positioned to carry out CLCPA mandates in alignment with the rapid and just decarbonization goals of the law.
“NY’s Public Power Bill Could Be a Model for the Rest of the Country”
“It hinges on the idea that the best way to decarbonize the state’s energy system is to make it publicly owned and democratically controlled.”
Read the article on Earther/Gizmodo
“Could Public Ownership Save the NY Power System?”
“New York’s profit-driven power system leads to higher costs, more blackouts, and more fossil fuels, activists say.”
Read the article on New York Focus
Sign-on Support for 2021 Bills
Read and sign the letter to support the Public Power NY campaign and its two Public Power bills, which are instrumental to creating an energy system that is democratic, accountable, just, and renewable.
Who We Are
The Public Power NY Coalition is a statewide movement of community and advocacy organizations fighting for an environmentally sustainable energy system that’s also racially, socially, and economically just. We believe energy and a habitable planet are human rights.
Why Public Power
We can’t fix greed. For-profit, private corporations answer to Wall Street investors, and therefore profit, and so cannot deliver either an effective or a just plan to address the urgent challenges of the climate crisis. A democratically accountable and publicly-owned energy system gives us the leverage to control what kind of power goes into it.
Legislation
The Public Power NY Statewide coalition will be introducing two bills this year to move New York State to the 100% renewable, democratically controlled, publicly owned energy system we need in order to lead the nation on climate.