Media Contact:
Jason Brown
BDC NY Communications Manager
jbrown@buildingdecarb.org
(917) 548-4451
New York State Senate One-House Budget Proposal Would
Deliver New Yorkers Cleaner Heat, Lower Bills, and Clean Energy Union Jobs
Building Decarbonization Coalition Applauds the New York State Senate for Including the NY HEAT Bill and Funding for Thermal Energy Networks at Two SUNY Campuses in its One-House Budget Proposal
ALBANY, N.Y. March 12, 2024 – Lisa Dix, New York Director for the Building Decarbonization Coalition, provided the following statement in response to the release of the New York State Senate and New York State Assembly One-House Budget proposals.
“BDC applauds the New York State Senate for their exemplary leadership in including the NY HEAT Act — which codifies the state’s existing goal to cap utility bills at 6% of a household’s income, eliminates wasteful fossil fuel subsidies, includes clear and detailed timelines for implementation proceedings, and establishes labor standards for neighborhood-scale decarbonization projects — and $90 million in funding for the union-led construction of thermal energy networks at two State University of New York (SUNY) campuses in its One-House Budget Proposal.
This One-House Budget proposal and Governor Hochul’s inclusion of the Affordable Gas Transition Act and other building decarbonization proposals in her Fiscal Year 2025 Executive Budget demonstrate that most of New York State’s political leadership is ready to take another major step toward an equitable, managed, and phased transition to affordable clean heat and cooling.
BDC calls on New York State Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie to listen to the 77 members of his conference who have sponsored the NY HEAT Act, and work with Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Governor Hochul to ensure the entirety of the NY HEAT Act, along with funding for thermal energy network projects at two SUNY campuses, are included in the FY 2025 New York State Budget.
By including these historic climate, energy affordability, and union-led building decarbonization projects in its FY 2025 New York State Budget, the Governor, the New York State Senate, and the New York State Assembly will help New York decarbonize its built environment at a scale that makes energy bills more affordable, fortify its clean heating and cooling infrastructure with union jobs, and create a national model for advancing the clean heat market.
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ABOUT THE BUILDING DECARBONIZATION COALITION
The Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC) unites stakeholders on a path to transform the nation’s buildings through clean energy, using policy, research, market development, and public engagement. The BDC and its members are charting the course to eliminate fossil fuels in buildings to improve people’s health, cut climate and air pollution, prioritize high-road jobs, and ensure that our communities are more resilient to the impacts of climate change. Learn more at www.buildingdecarb.org