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Blog / Newsletter New York Policy Updates
Published Feb 07, 2023 / Last modified on Aug 07, 2023 at 2:23 pm
New York Policy Updates
Sky view of New York City

August Updates:

July 2023:

  • NY HEAT passed in the Senate! Check out New York Director Lisa Dix’s statement: https://buildingdecarb.org/building-decarbonization-coalition-responds-to-new-york-state-senate-passage-of-ny-heat-act
    • And this statement celebrating the Senate’s leadership from the Renewable Heat Now Coalition with a quote from BDC
    • BDC & other organizations in New York will continue to build momentum to get NY HEAT over the finish line in next year’s session.
  • On Friday, June 23 The New York State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council Met with and discussed changes that must be incorporated into the new 2024 code, and the timeline for adoption of the building code update. https://dos.ny.gov/event/state-fire-prevention-and-building-code-council-meeting-june-2023.  BDC Testified & filed written testimony at the June 23 meeting, urging the Code Council to ensure the 2024 code update complies with major legislation that has passed such as the Advanced Codes & Standards Act, the All-Electric Buildings Act, and the finalized recommendations in the Scoping Plan from the Climate Action Council.
  • The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority held a series of webinars from June 1 to June 22. Recordings are available here: https://capandinvest.ny.gov/Meetings-and-Events. In order to inform the development of the cap and invest pre-proposal, NYSERDA and DEC requested first round feedback by July 1, 2023.
  • In Public Service Commission Docket 22-M-0429, Proceeding to Implement the Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act. additional filings commented on newly proposed projects are due by July 10.

 

June 2023:

On May 2, New York State passed the budget for Fiscal Year 2024. The budget included:

  • A first of its kind statewide requirement to achieve zero-emissions in new buildings beginning in 2026.
  • $30 million for the New York Power Authority to move forward with ‘decarbonization action plans’ to fully eliminate on-site emissions from 15 facilities and campuses and allocated an additional $30 million for investments in a Thermal Energy Network at SUNY Albany, delivering immediate emissions reductions and union jobs. (see https://www.upgradeny.org/) 
  • $200 million dollars to help low-income households weatherize and electrify their homes.
  • $200 million for short-term utility bill relief for low-income New Yorkers.
  • Language designating how funds will be allocated in a cap and invest program.

BDC’s statement in response to the budget: https://buildingdecarb.org/bdc-responds-to-new-york-state-budget-for-fiscal-year-2024-2 

Past events;

On May 23, Renewable Heat Now held a rally in Albany asking the legislature to pass the NY HEAT Act before the end of session.  

On May 25, BDC held a webinar, BDC Presents: The Future of Gas in New York State. The conversation between Lisa Dix, BDC’s NY Director and Mike Bloomerg & Michael Walsh from Groundwork Data included a deep dive into the data in the report and a discussion of how New York State leaders can act now to save New Yorkers money and ensure an equitable, managed, and phased transition to clean energy.

Watch here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teOzHQXgG38 

Read about it here: https://buildingdecarb.org/wp-content/uploads/Future-of-Gas-in-NY-webinar-summary.pdf 

On June 1, New York Director Lisa Dix participated on a panel at the New York Electrification Summit.

Save the date:

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York State Energy Research and Development authority (NYSERDA) are holding a series of stakeholder information sessions on the development of the State’s economy wide Cap and Invest Program

  • June 1, 1 to 3 p.m. – Cap-and-Invest Overview
  • June 6, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Natural Gas-focused webinar
  • June 8, 1 to 3 p.m. – Liquid Fuels-focused webinar
  • June 13, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Energy Intensive and Trade Exposed Industries-focused webinar
  • June 15, 1 to 3 p.m. – Waste-focused webinar
  • June 20, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Cap-and-Invest Analysis Inputs and Methods
  • June 22, 1 to 3 p.m. – Electricity-focused webinar

On June 22, the Public Service Commission session will be held from 10:30-1pm. A preliminary agenda will be released the Friday before session. A final agenda will be released generally one day before session.

The State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council is holding a meeting on June 23. 

 

April 2023:

Budget

The NYS Budget – due on April 1 – has not yet been finalized.

Resources

On March 16th, the Building Decarbonization Coalition released the Future of Gas Report, which details five urgent recommendations to achieve the ambitious emissions reductions required by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). They include ending gas subsidies, setting clear emissions reduction targets, and giving the PSC the tools to take an active role in utility spending and coordinate at the local and regional level to equitably transition entire communities toward zero-emissions technology.

Lisa Dix, BDC’s New York Director, and John Murphy, the International Representative for the United Association of Plumbers, Pipefitters and Sprinkler Fitters (UA) in New York, co-wrote a piece in the Gotham Gazette about the need to Upgrade NY by investing in thermal energy networks in state-owned campuses and facilities.

Public Service Commission (PSC)

The Public Service Commission has been accepting public comments on utility filings in Case 22-M-0429 – Proceeding to Implement the Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act. Comments are due on April 2, 2023.

Public Service Commission Session – April 20, 2023. A preliminary agenda of the meeting will be released the Friday before.

NYSERDA

On March 21, Governor Announced $13.5 Million to the third round winners of the Buildings of Excellence Competition to provide financial incentives and recognition for the design, construction, and operation of clean, resilient, low- or zero-carbon emitting buildings.

Save the Date

April 26-27: NY GEO Conference

April 25-26: Air Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration Institute Summit

 

March 2023:

Save the Date

How New York State can use Thermal Energy Networks to Cut Pollution from Buildings and Create Jobs

UpgradeNY hosted a panel discussion yesterday that included topics such as :

  • What thermal energy networks are
  • A vision for State facilities with no on-site emissions by 2040
  • How we can create an equitable pipeline for union careers
  • How the University at Albany is deploying this technology

You can watch the recording here.

April 26-27: NY GEO Conference

April 25-26: Air Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration Institute Summit

Legislature

The NYS Legislature held joint budget hearings from February 6 – March 1, 2023. One house budgets are expected from both the NYS Senate and Assembly in mid-March, so budget advocacy and negotiations are in full swing.

Public Service Commission (PSC)

New York Joint Local Distribution Companies’ (JLDCs) held their Stakeholder Scoping Meeting on Tuesday, February 28, 2023. The meeting’s purpose was to engage with interested stakeholders in a scoping process for the development of a proposal for a GHG Emissions Reduction Pathways Study.

 

February 2023:

Advocacy

The Building Decarbonization Coalition, along with labor unions, climate justice, and environmental partners, launched Upgrade NY. The collaboration is calling for:

  • The State to immediately fund the construction of shovel-ready thermal energy networks to decarbonize state-owned facilities.
  • The State to develop plans to fully decarbonize 15 of their highest emitting facilities through the construction of thermal energy networks or other large-scale electrification projects. These projects must be shovel-ready by 2025 and achieve at least a 30% reduction of on-site emissions from the state-owned buildings portfolio.
  • Reduction of on-site emissions by at least 30% from the state facilities portfolio by 2025; 50% by 2030; 75% by 2035; and 100% of state facilities must be fully decarbonized by 2040.
  • The work to be coupled with labor standards, including prioritized recruitment and support of local workers in disadvantaged communities.

WE ACT’s Out of Gas, In with Justice study found that simply by removing a gas stove from a home and replacing it with an induction stove, daily nitrogen dioxide concentrations dropped by 35% when controlling for temperature and apartment-level factors.

Governor’s Office

On January 10, Governor Kathy Hochul delivered her State of the State address, which included a commitment to all-electric new construction, as well as an economy-wide cap and invest program. Additional climate proposals can be found here.

On February 1, Governor Hochul released her budget, which included a zero-emissions new construction proposal and a cap and invest program.

Climate Action Council (CAC)

The Climate Action Council voted to adopt the Scoping Plan in December 2022.

On January 19, the NY Senate held a joint public hearing to examine the legislative and budgetary actions necessary to implement the Climate Action Council Final Scoping Plan.

New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA)

NY’s Carbon Neutral Buildings Roadmap was Released in December 2022.

Public Service Commission (PSC)

SAVE THE DATE: The Public Service Commission Session, February 16th.