Next Steps on Climate Leadership: Get Ready for the Public Process

By: Anastasia Gordon

In June 2021, New York reached a crucial milestone in the implementation of its nation-leading climate law, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.  After months of meetings, all seven advisory panels submitted their recommendations to the Climate Action Council for consideration as it develops the plan to achieve law’s economy-wide greenhouse gas reduction mandates.  Along with ACE NY’s Jeff Jones, I have been tracking this process, attending almost every meeting of the advisory panels and working groups of the CAC as they worked towards finalizing these recommendations. Here are some reflections:

Policies with Far Reaching Implications

Over 9 months, the advisory panels comprising of experts from across the state, collectively held a whopping 78 meetings to design sector-specific recommendations. These sectors included agriculture and forestry, energy efficiency and housing, energy-intensive and trade-exposed industries, land use and local government, transportation, power generation, and waste. Jeff and I tuned into many, if not most, even participating in public engagement sessions and providing input to inform recommendations, specifically the transportation, energy efficiency, and power generation panels.

I was amazed by the technical work, collaboration, and level of commitment panel members and state agency support staff put into the process. Volunteering their time and working within a short timeframe to deliver mitigation proposals to the Council, all within a virtual environment. These proposals, which range from 100% electric vehicles sales by 2035/2045 to transitioning off natural gas were bold and could have far reaching implications for New Yorkers.

Many of the panel recommendations involve expanding or streamlining existing programs, like the Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program. Others could be adopted right away through legislative or administrative action such as passing legislation to improve energy efficiency in buildings or participating in the multi-state Transportation and Climate Initiative. Furthermore, it became clear that there is critical research the state needs to start now, including identifying the last percentage of dispatchable clean energy and long-duration energy storage required to achieve 100% emissions-free electricity by 2040. These measures can provide much need resources and set New York on track to accomplishing its climate and clean energy goals, even before the Council develops the final scoping plan in December 2022.

Public Participation

All advisory panels had the opportunity to hold stakeholder input sessions and the prize for most went to the Power Generation Panel! But while the virtual meetings allowed for a wide cross-section of New Yorkers to participate, in the same token, the technology and holding these sessions often in the middle of the day limited maximum public participation. A common comment from stakeholders at these sessions was that most New Yorkers are unaware of the whole process.

Moving forward, the state should make a concerted effort to boost awareness and encourage public engagement as the Council works towards developing the final plan to achieve New York’s climate law. Once the draft scoping plan is released at the end of 2021, there will be six hearings throughout 2022 for the public to have its say in New York’s clean energy future. ACE NY will continue to keep you abreast of when these hearings will take place well in advance.  

Climate Justice and A Just Transition

One of the most important elements of NY’s climate law is making sure that the transition to a clean energy economy is just and equitable. In the law, two working groups are tasked with ensuring that the Council develops a plan that addresses the needs of disadvantaged communities, underrepresented segments of NY’s population, and fossil fuel workers that will be displaced by the transition.

The Just Transition Working Group presented its workforce development recommendations to the CAC on April 12. The working group has also developed an inventory of power plants that may close due to the transition and is conducting a jobs study to analyze the employment impacts of achieving the CLCPA goals. The latter will be completed by the end of 2021.

At the same time, the Climate Justice Working Group, composed of representatives of environmental justice communities around the state, is currently in the process of finalizing criteria to define disadvantaged communities. This will help determine the frontline communities historically impacted by climate change and other environmental hazards that will receive at least 35% of clean energy and energy efficiency investments, as required by the law. There will be six public hearings to garner input on the draft criteria this summer.

ACE NY will keep you updated as this critical work continues, in addition to the ongoing integrated analysis that will inform the draft scoping plan to achieve the CLCPA. The integrated  analysis will evaluate the emissions reductions and societal costs of all the panel recommendations. Recaps of the meetings will be posted on the NYS climate law section of our website while meeting schedules and materials can be found on NYSERDA’s Climate Act website. Stay tuned as we track the progress towards meeting NY’s climate goals!