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Gov. Hochul at the solar farm event (photo by Philip Kamrass/New York Power Authority).
I was proud to cast a 2019 vote in Albany. After supporting the bill for many decades, I voted to pass the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. I believed we were on the right track. New York is now a true leader in climate change, thanks to the CLCPA. This made it a state that committed to rapid decarbonization of its economy and ensured that we invest in communities most directly affected by climate change and pollution.
The CLCPA includes aggressive benchmarks for getting off of fossil fuels: by 2030, 70% of our electricity must be from renewable sources, and by 2040 our state’s entire electric grid must be zero-emissions. These mandates line our state up with the emissions reduction timeline put forth by the Paris Agreement and make New York a climate leader — but only if we can meet them.
Three years later we have made pitiful progress in reducing our emissions, we’ve built almost no new solar or wind and actually burn more carbon today than in 2019. Only six percent of our electricity is generated by wind and solar. Texas, a state that is known for its conservative leadership, reliance on oil, and dependence on gas, receives 17% of its electricity exclusively from wind. This is nearly three times the amount of New York. When our energy profile is not up to par with the rest of the country, we cannot claim climate leadership.
Earlier this month, I pressed leadership of NYSERDA — the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority — on New York’s renewable pathways, and they said we were on track, despite not even being halfway to our 2015 goals. This was shocking and disconcerting because if every renewable project in New York’s pipeline (of which only 4 of 63 have succeeded thus far) and the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) were fully operational, New York would still not meet the goals of having 70% of its energy come from renewable resources by 2030. It’s shameful, if this is what NYSERDA and Governor Hochul think is climate leadership.
This is why I am a sponsor of the Build Public renewables Act. The BPRA lifts New York Power Authority’s arbitrary generator cap and allows it to purchase and build new renewable projects. This will ensure that we meet the mandates from the CLCPA.
The New York Power Authority would be accountable to New Yorkers every day under the Build Public Renewables Act. This will also increase interconnection by eliminating uncertainty around the renewable buildout. We don’t have the time to waste. The recent spike in electric bill prices is a clear example of what happens when we rely on gas. We must build public renewables.
Renewables are not enough. It’s time to take a new tack, and put our money where our mouth is. That’s why I’m proud to stand with the NY Renews coalition and demand a $15 billion investment in climate, jobs, and justice for New York in this year’s state budget, due by April 1. This money will allow us to meet our climate goals, invest directly in the frontline communities, and create a just, thriving economy for all. This $15 billion in concert with the Build Public Renewables Act would reestablish New York’s climate leadership. These two actions would be combined to help us meet the essential and ambitious mandates of CLCPA.
Ninety-years ago, New York was leading on climate when Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt established the New York Power Authority. This became the New Deal model. New York can be a climate leader once again. But we won’t get there with the same tired talking points of the past three years. Inaction now will lead to disaster later. Half measures now are no better. This is not the time to be optimistic. We must be realistic, bold, and imaginative in order to respond to the crisis at its full extent.
This means that we must allocate the required funding to the state budget in order to achieve our climate goals. It involves passing bills like my Build public renewables Act and Pollution justice Act, which will allow our state rebuild our energy system for a sustainable future.
Investing $15 billion for climate, jobs, and justice in this year’s New York state budget will put us on track to be the climate leaders we need to be. I’m calling on my colleagues and the governor to meet the incredible need of the moment and include all of these in our budget this year to truly lead.
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Robert Carroll is the prime sponsor for the Build Public Renewables Bill and represents Park Slope and Windsor Terrace, Kensington and Ditmas Park, as well as other neighborhoods in the State Assembly. Follow us on Twitter @Bobby4Brooklyn.
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