Public Power New York Coalition and 55 State Legislators Call on Governor Hochul to Include NY Build Public Renewables Act in Executive Budget

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 16, 2021

Contact: Aaron Eisenberg, (914) 980-9117 Aaron.B.Eisenberg@gmail.com

On Thursday, December 16 Assemblymember Robert Carroll and State Senator Julia Salazar, joined by 53 of their Assembly and Senate colleagues, delivered a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul asking her to include the NY Build Public Renewables Act A1466a/S6453 in the Executive Budget.

As the storms earlier this year showed us, transitioning our state to a renewable energy economy is not only mandated by the CLCPA but is a matter of life and death. New York only generates 6% wind and solar energy. In order to meet our 70% by 2030 CLCPA mandate, we must be willing to take bold action. That is why the NY Build Public Renewables Act (BPRA) must be in the Executive Budget. Currently, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) is legally prohibited from owning more than six utility-scale generation facilities at an average of 25mw each. The NY Build Public Renewables Act would remove this limitation, allowing NYPA to scale up renewables faster, cheaper and more efficiently than private developers.

Inverting traditional budget demands, the Build Public Renewables act is revenue neutral. However, as it deals with a State Authority, NYPA, it should be taken care of in the budget. According to research out of the University of Pennsylvania, the Build Public Renewables Act could add up to $90 Billion to the State’s economy over the next decade and up to 51,000 sustained, union jobs. The letter went on to invoke FDR’s legacy of creating NYPA which he then used as his New Deal model to invoke the opportunity for Governor Hochul with the Green New Deal.

For a full copy of the letter and all the signatories please see HERE

“If Governor Hochul wants to lead on climate change, she should include the New York Build Public Renewables Act (“NYBPRA”) in her 2022 budget, said Assemblymember Robert Carroll the bill’s lead sponsor in the Assembly. By allowing the New York Power Authority, to own, operate, and generate renewable energy, Governor Hochul will turbocharge New York’s renewable energy generation. Without NYBPRA, New York is unlikely to meet its goal of producing 70% of its energy via renewable resources by 2030. Governor Hochul has a unique opportunity, use NYPA’s strong bond rating to create desperately needed renewable energy projects. Projects that will create good jobs and be revenue neutral. Our planet can’t wait any longer for this sound policy, the only people saying no are the executives at for-profit utility companies.”

State Senator Julia Salazar said, “New York remains at only 6% wind and solar–a fifth as much as Texas–and zero substantive pieces of climate legislation have passed since 2019. This is not acceptable. That is why along with 54 legislators of my colleagues we are calling on Governor Hochul to include the NY Build Public Renewables Act in her Executive Budget so we have a chance at avoiding the worst of the climate crisis.”

Stylianos Karolidis, an organizer with NYC-DSA said, “Along with 55 legislators and New Yorkers across the State, we are calling on Governor Hochul to include the NY Build Public Renewables Act in the Executive Budget this year. This bill is revenue neutral to the budget, but would add up to $90 Billion and up to 51,000 clean energy jobs to the State’s Economy over the next ten years. The climate crisis is here, and it’s imperative that the Governor equip’s New York to tackle it head on by including Build Public Renewables in her budget, and let the world know: the Green New Deal starts now.”

“Not only do we want to see the New York Build Public Renewables Act in the 2022 Executive Budget, but we also urge New York State Governor Kathy Hochul to prioritize environmental justice communities for the renewable energy projects and 51,000 clean energy jobs the legislation will produce,” said Jasmine Graham, Energy Justice Policy Manager at WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “These communities have disproportionately suffered from the impacts of climate change and other pollution caused by the fossil fuel industry, so they deserve an equitable share of the clean energy and jobs that this transformation will bring.”

Mohini Sharma, Lead Organizer of Metro Justice in Rochester said, “Governor Hochul has a choice: she can continue allowing billionaire corporations to profit from our state’s failure to transition our energy system at the speed science demands, or she can include the NY Build Public Renewables Act in her executive budget, and make New York a leader in the renewable energy revolution. Today along with 55 legislators and New Yorkers across the state, we are saying the choice is hers, she should choose to lead.”

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About the Public Power NY Coalition: 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, and that we need to avert the climate crisis by eliminating the use of fossil fuels and transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy. We aim to accomplish these goals by taking over our for-profit energy system and bringing it under public, not-for-profit, local, and democratic ownership and management.

For more information please contact us at: info@publicpowerny.org