FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Contact: Lee Ziesche, info@publicpowerny.org, 954-415-6228

STATEMENT: NYPA Can’t Silence 5,332 New Yorkers

On October 8, NYPA opened a 60 day public comment period on its renewable draft plan. New Yorkers responded with the largest outpouring of public support for large scale renewable development in state history.

In just two months, over 5300 New Yorkers sent comments to the email address NYPA supplied, each demanding that NYPA commit to building 15 gigawatts of public renewables by 2030 in order to meet our states climate targets, rather than the far smaller amount in the draft plan.

But at yesterday’s NYPA Trustee meeting, NYPA VP of Communications Charles Imohiosen claimed NYPA received just 272 comments–missing over 5000 New Yorkers.

NYPA President and Hochul appointee Justin Driscoll also stated that public feedback will be incorporated into the updated plan. This must start by locating and including missing 5,332 comments calling for a 15 GW buildout, which make up at least 95% of total comments received. And it must end by doing what New Yorkers overwhelmingly demand: turn our state into a climate and green jobs model that not even President Trump can stop, by committing to building those 15 GW by 2030.

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Note to the editor:

About Public Power NY

Public Power NY is a movement fighting to ensure New York effectively carries out the Build Public Renewables Act by building 15 Gigawatts of public renewables by 2030. Hailed as the first statewide Green New Deal law, BPRA was written by PPNY and passed in 2023 thanks to four years of organizing by a multiracial, multi-generational movement of climate and advocacy organizations, labor unions representing millions of New Yorkers and tens of thousands of New Yorkers who have taken action from upstate, downstate, and everywhere in between. With federal climate action off the table, BPRA has enabled NY to not just play defense against Trump, but lead the way the way FDR created NYPA to do.