New York (WRGB) \u2014 New York is preparing to pour nearly $1 billion into a sweeping new round of clean-energy and affordability programs aimed at lowering home heating costs, improving school air quality and strengthening the state\u2019s energy supply as demand surges.<\/p>\n
Gov. Hochul, marking Climate Week, announced the second installment of New York\u2019s Sustainable Future Program, a package of direct investments designed to save families money, cut building emissions, expand renewable energy generation and bolster infrastructure statewide. The funding is part of Hochul\u2019s Clean, Highly Affordable, Reliable, Grid Expansion (CHARGE) agenda, which also includes a new Energy Infrastructure Development Plan intended to reshape how the state plans and builds the \u201cgrid of the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hochul said,<\/p>\n
Our smart approach to sustainability will help lower home heating costs for more New Yorkers, increase statewide energy supply, and create good jobs. My administration will continue working with all stakeholders to deliver on our agenda for sustainability, affordability and stronger communities.<\/p>\n
State officials said the Sustainable Future Program matches what was described as the largest investment in climate action in state history, set a year ago, and targets key areas of New York\u2019s climate plan with an emphasis on making the energy transition more affordable.<\/p>\n
The funding plan includes $500 million for building decarbonization and energy cost savings, including:<\/p>\n
$150 million for the EmPower+ program, which provides no-cost home energy assessments, efficiency upgrades and heat pump installations for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers to permanently lower heating and cooling costs.$150 million for an \u201cAffordable Green Transition for Housing\u201d initiative, including $40 million to fill federal funding gaps in the Weatherization Assistance Program, $10 million for all-electric multifamily housing, and $100 million for the Clean Energy Initiative, including $20 million for NYCHA and $30 million for Mitchell-Lama housing.$50 million for the Clean Green Schools program to upgrade under-resourced public school facilities, reduce carbon emissions and significantly improve indoor air quality.$150 million for thermal energy network projects to support utility-scale systems that transition neighborhoods to clean heating and cooling without fossil fuels, including space heating, cooling and domestic hot water.<\/p>\n
Another $300 million is slated to expand affordable renewable energy, including:<\/p>\n
$200 million for the NY-Sun program to expand solar incentives for single-family homes, multifamily buildings, businesses and local municipalities, with the goal of boosting clean power production and reducing electric utility bills.$100 million for NYPA Renewables to enable the New York Power Authority to finance public renewable energy projects.<\/p>\n
The plan also directs funding toward methane reduction and resiliency efforts:<\/p>\n
$25 million for municipal recycling and food waste grants supporting wasted food reduction, food donation and municipal composting.Funding for climate-resilient farming and urban forestry, including $25 million to help farmers implement soil health and methane-reduction technology and $12.5 million to expand urban tree canopies and restore state forest health.$25 million for parks, public lands and community stewardship, including land acquisition for state forests and parks and infrastructure repairs for public campgrounds, trails, pools and recreational facilities.<\/p>\n
Doreen Harris, president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority said,<\/p>\n
Through the Sustainable Future Program, Governor Hochul has been a leader in supporting programs like Clean Green Schools and NY-Sun to deliver real energy savings for New Yorkers and offering meaningful clean energy solutions. The Governor\u2019s forward-thinking CHARGE agenda and the EIDP are imperative to meeting our State\u2019s growing energy needs in a way that is affordable and reliable for all New Yorkers and, as the Chair of the State Energy Planning Board, I look forward to reconvening the board to address New York\u2019s near and long-term needs through this expanded framework.<\/p>\n
Rory Christian, chair and CEO of the state Department of Public Service said,<\/p>\n
Under Governor Hochul\u2019s leadership, New York State is strategically investing in the clean energy infrastructure and programs needed to meet demand without compromising system safety, affordability and reliability. Unveiling the Clean, Highly Affordable, Reliable, Grid Expansion and the Energy Infrastructure Development Plan during Climate Week is a clear signal that New York is serious about implementing energy efficiency measures that can reduce costs and stimulate economic growth for a sustainable future.<\/p>\n
The Energy Infrastructure Development Plan is designed to update New York\u2019s energy planning process with what the state described as an actionable blueprint to cut red tape and better align resources with economic growth. Hochul is directing the New York State Energy Planning Board to conduct comprehensive integrated planning to determine what infrastructure is needed to reliably meet demand, with the plan intended to guide investment decisions over the coming decades.<\/p>\n
Under the new approach, the state plans to coordinate utility-scale clean generation and transmission while leveraging neighborhood-scale alternatives, distributed solar and energy storage. The process begins this year as part of the State Energy Plan, with an interim plan due in 2027 and the first comprehensive plan finalized by December 2029. New York would then carry out new EIDPs as part of ongoing energy planning.<\/p>\n
Hochul\u2019s CHARGE agenda is framed as a five-part push to keep energy reliable while controlling costs. It includes a one-time $1 billion energy rebate program for more than 8 million New Yorkers, with checks \u201cgoing out beginning this week and continuing through December,\u201d aimed at helping residents facing higher utility costs and gas prices.<\/p>\n
The agenda also includes a Ratepayer Protection Plan that ties utility CEO pay to affordability, requires rate hike requests to include a budget-constrained option, refuses mid-project bailouts, and prohibits the use of ratepayer dollars for \u201chidden costs like lobbying, executive travel and political donations.\u201d<\/p>\n
On energy demand from large users, the plan says Hochul has placed what was described as the nation\u2019s first statewide moratorium on new hyperscale data centers while regulations are developed, and is demanding developers provide their own power sources or pay higher rates so everyday New Yorkers do not shoulder the cost.<\/p>\n
The CHARGE agenda also calls for building clean energy at scale, including expanding large-scale renewables, investing $200 million in distributed solar in 2026 alone, and launching an 8.4-gigawatt \u201cNuclear Backbone\u201d initiative authorizing the New York Power Authority to build new emission-free nuclear power.<\/p>\n
To modernize the grid, the agenda cites a multibillion-dollar transmission buildout that has already added nearly 1,000 miles of grid infrastructure by cutting permitting timelines by 50%, backed by a $3.81 billion commitment to scale energy storage.<\/p>\n
RuthAnne Visnauskas, commissioner of Homes and Community Renewal said,<\/p>\n
Thanks to Governor Hochul\u2019s leadership, New York State is committed to making the types of smart investments that reduce our environmental impact, improve resiliency, and create healthier communities. Across the state, HCR is proud to put a variety of energy-conservation measures to work that help lower costs for New Yorkers while we strategically transition away from fossil fuels. This latest investment announced today will help bring savings directly to tenants, homeowners, and building owners while also accelerating the types of holistic changes that ensure a greener future for all.<\/p>\n
Richard A. Ball, commissioner of Agriculture and Markets said,<\/p>\n
Through the State\u2019s Climate Resilient Farming Grant Program, our Soil and Water Conservation Districts are able to work hand in hand with our farmers to implement best management practices that are improving our farms\u2019 sustainability and helping them mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. The program is a critical component of the State\u2019s broader efforts to combat climate change, protect water quality, and enhance soil health. With this additional funding being provided through the Governor\u2019s Sustainable Future Program, the Department will be able to reach more farms and continue to build on the success of this program, which has seen increasing demand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"New York (WRGB) \u2014 New York is preparing to pour nearly $1 billion into a sweeping new round…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":353806,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[98,100,99,9,24,63],"class_list":["post-353805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn-headlines","tag-brooklyn-news","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/353805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=353805"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/353805\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/353806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=353805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=353805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=353805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}