Following Record July Heat, Organizations Urge Immediate Advancement of Propel NY Energy to Meet Critical Electricity Needs
Aug. 4, 2026 —A diverse coalition of labor unions, environmental organizations, and business leaders today urged New York State to immediately advance Propel NY Energy, a critical underground electric transmission project designed to strengthen the state’s electric grid and support growing energy demands. Together, the coalition represents thousands of workers, environmental advocates, residents, and businesses across New York, including many of the state’s largest employers and economic drivers.
Most of New York’s grid was built more than 40 years ago – some assets are nearing 100 years old. At the same time, demand for electricity is expected to increase between 50 to 90 percent over the next 20 years, which will place even more extreme strain on the aging grid.
During the July 4th holiday when temperatures across New York soared to over 100 degrees and energy demand neared record levels, thousands of New Yorkers were left without power during dangerous conditions. The state’s grid operator, the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), was forced to initiate emergency procedures to maintain reliability.
After years of planning and extensive community engagement, the Propel NY Energy project has been responsibly developed to help meet these growing challenges, while delivering significant economic and environmental benefits. The project supports New Yorkers through:
- Modernizing New York’s aging and constrained transmission system
- Strengthening reliability and resiliency in the face of more frequent extreme weather
- Reducing costly congestion on the grid that continually drives up energy prices for homes and businesses
- Preparing the system to handle increasing energy demand, consumption and economic opportunity
- Expanding capacity of the current system to allow for the delivery of additional energy resources
- Generating an estimated $2.4 billion in economic activity and supporting approximately 2,000 jobs annually during the four-year construction period
“There is no clean energy transition without transmission,” said Julie Tighe, President, New York League of Conservation Voters. “Keeping up with rising electricity demand and decarbonizing the grid requires building more than renewable energy generation alone – it must go hand-in-hand with the poles and wires that deliver that power to our homes and businesses. Propel NY Energy is a critical investment in the backbone of our electric grid and after years of community input, careful planning, and robust stakeholder engagement, it’s time to move this project forward. Doing so will strengthen grid reliability on Long Island and help stabilize energy costs as we build a cleaner, more resilient energy future.”
“At a time when we are experiencing record-high temperatures and our electricity grid is already struggling to meet demand, it is extremely disappointing that elected officials promote the “not in my backyard” mentality for this crucial energy infrastructure project,” said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “Energy demand is projected to continue to increase, and we will face more extreme weather and climate change impacts in the coming years. Upgrading our antiquated grid with Propel is a necessity, not a luxury item that can wait for another 10 years.”
“Propel NY Energy is exactly the kind of investment New York needs — a project that strengthens the backbone of our electric grid while putting our members to work building it,” said Frank Muia, International Vice President, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Third District. “This is nearly 90 miles of new transmission infrastructure that will cut bottlenecks, improve reliability for millions of homes and businesses, and clear the way for more clean energy to reach the grid. Projects like this create thousands of good, sustained jobs for the men and women who do this work every day — and that’s the kind of investment in New York’s future that IBEW members are proud to help build.”
“Without meaningful investment in our electric grid, Long Island is destined for a future of blackouts and brownouts,” said John R. Durso, President, Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. “We must not allow politics to disrupt necessary projects that are supported by the facts. Working families are in desperate need of real solutions and this project is a key ingredient to addressing our affordability challenges on Long Island. It must continue to move forward.”
“We must keep Propel NY on track. It is a $3.26 billion investment by New Yorkers in New Yorkers,” said Ryan Stanton, Executive Director, Long Island Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. “The New York based development team has selected multiple NY based union contractors, ensuring that the ratepayer money is delivering the greatest possible return on investment. Not to mention, this project will create millions of work hours, and good paying union jobs that by definition support local families and local communities.”
“You can’t build a clean energy future without the transmission to carry it,” said Shannon Heyck-Williams, Associate Vice President of Climate and Clean Energy, National Wildlife Federation. “Propel NY Energy expands the grid capacity New York needs to bring more homegrown renewable power online, ease the congestion that drives up costs, and keep power flowing as extreme weather grows more frequent. Just as important, it shows this kind of infrastructure can be advanced while avoiding and minimizing impacts to wildlife and the communities along the route. NWF is proud to support its timely advancement.”
“Extreme heat this summer has exacerbated the growing pressure on New York’s electric grid, and we need to invest in the infrastructure that keeps New York’s lights on,” said Vincent Albanese, Executive Director, New York State Laborers PAC. “Propel NY Energy will create thousands of good paying union jobs that will strengthen the energy system that New Yorkers will depend on for decades. After years of thoughtful planning and community engagement, now’s the time for state leaders to move this project forward — and our workforce is ready to go”
The following organizations are part of the group urging the timely advancement of Propel NY Energy: the New York League of Conservation Voters, The Black Institute, the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, the Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk AFL-CIO, the Business Council of Westchester, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Climate Jobs New York, IBEW Local 1049, IBEW Third District, the Laborers’ International Union of North America, the Long Island Association, the Long Island Federation of Labor, Minority Millennials, the National Wildlife Federation, the New York Building Congress, New Yorkers for Clean Power, the Queens Chamber of Commerce, the Regional Plan Association, Renewable Energy Long Island, the Sierra Club Long Island Group, the Suffolk County Alliance of Chambers, Sustainable Hudson Valley, Third Act, Third Act NYC, and Third Act Upstate NY.
Propel will construct approximately 90-miles of underground and submarine electric transmission lines across downstate New York, creating a stronger grid backbone that allows energy to flow more efficiently and reliably – especially during times of high demand. NYISO has repeatedly warned that without investments in projects such as Propel, reliability margins will continue to shrink, leading to more frequent brown outs and blackouts.
Propel has recently achieved several important milestones, and timely regulatory approvals are necessary to ensure the project meets the 2030 in-service date so it can deliver the necessary improvements as soon as possible. Delays in approvals will only lead to negative outcomes for New Yorkers, including higher costs and a less reliable system.