NYLCV applauds the State Senate and Assembly including several measures in their One-House Budgets that will protect our environment, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and advance our affordable clean energy future.
[Click here to encourage your state representatives to keep up the fight during budget negotiations, and click here to urge them and Governor Hochul to protect the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act!]
We are thrilled that both chambers proposed a $1 billion for the Sustainable Future Fund, including $200 million for thermal energy networks at SUNY and CUNY campuses and investments to boost clean transportation, decarbonize school buildings, make solar energy more accessible, and help low- and moderate-income households save money on clean energy upgrades and make utility bills more predictable and affordable.
We also applaud the Senate and Assembly for including $500 million for the Environmental Protection Fund and increasing funding for the Clean Water Infrastructure Act.
We are especially pleased to see both houses include measures to tackle energy affordability, including a sales tax exemption for utility-scale battery storage by the Assembly, and the Accelerate Solar for Affordable Power (ASAP) Act by the Senate. We urge lawmakers to include both measures in the Final Adopted Budget.
Critically, the Senate’s budget also calls for implementation of a Cap-and-Invest program to help achieve the greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).
With the federal government rolling back investments in affordable clean energy at the same time New Yorkers are facing rising utility bills, the stakes for the FY27 State Budget could not be higher – and transparency is critical. As negotiations continue, we urge the State Senate and Assembly to reject any back-room attempts to water down the CLCPA.
Clean energy is the path to affordability for New Yorkers and we cannot afford to go backwards.
As legislative leaders and Governor Hochul begin negotiations in earnest, it is crucial that lawmakers hear from their constituents. Here’s how you can help – take a minute to click on the following links to: