Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters, released the following statement in response to the FY27 Enacted State Budget:
“At a time when New York should be doing everything it can to reduce our dependence on expensive and dirty fossil fuels, the FY27 State Budget takes us a step backwards. By weakening the Climate Law and further delaying cap-and-invest, this budget postpones our affordable clean energy future for an extended ride on the fossil fuel roller coaster that’s choking our air and our wallets.
We are also disappointed with the delay of the electric school bus transition. Despite the challenges, the urgency to address the horrendous effects of diesel-powered buses on our youth remains, and lawmakers must continue funding clean buses so our kids can arrive at school healthy and ready to learn.
However, we are pleased to see incremental progress, including the additional $1 billion for the Sustainable Future Fund, important investments in NY-Sun, establishing the Excelsior Power program to deploy smart thermostats, and much-needed interconnection reforms that will allow the state to boost community solar. This will make it easier to connect clean, reliable, and affordable energy technology to the grid.
The $525 million for clean water infrastructure is a big win for environmental protection and we are grateful the Governor and legislature worked to address environmentalists’ concerns with SEQRA exemptions. We will work to ensure they are only granted to Climate Smart projects, as we believe the intent to be.
On the whole, this budget falls far short of what is needed to fund the clean energy and climate resilience projects. That is why we call on state leaders to get climate action back on track, accelerate a cap-and-invest program, double down on solar, and deliver the affordable, reliable clean energy future New Yorkers deserve.”