Renewing the Fight for Clean Energy in 2021
By Jeff Jones
The new year brings an exciting and important new stage to implementation of the state’s historic Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Cuomo in 2019, the bill set in motion a process that could put New York in the leadership of the fight to address climate change and launch a new wave of investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. The law created a 22-member Climate Action Council (CAC) that will spend the rest of 2021 developing the pathway to achieve CLCPA goals. To get there, a number of advisory panels and working groups have been created and are nearing the half-way point in the development of their recommendations to the CAC. (Members of the 22-member council were selected by the Governor and leaders of the Senate and Assembly. ACE NY Executive Director Anne Reynolds is a member, who was appointed by Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.) The strategy developed through this process will determine how successful the state is in addressing the climate challenge. The success of this process, including creating pathways for public participation, will be one of the most meaningful areas of activity in the coming year for those concerned about the rapid and timely development of the new clean energy economy.
Implementation of the CLCPA goals will require a fundamental commitment from state leaders, state agencies, the clean energy community and climate advocates. For the most part, state agency leaders direct the work of the CAC, related working groups and advisory panels. Staff from key agencies, along with hired consultants, do a lot of the day-to-day work necessary to develop plans to meet CLCPA. But input from council and sub-group members is critical to achieving goals that include reducing in-state carbon emissions 70% by 2030 and 100% by 2050. Overall greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2050. Another key element of the law requires that at least 35% of investments related to the CLCPA implementation strategy benefit frontline communities that have been disproportionately impacted by climate change. Among the groups working to develop the recommended implementation plan is the Climate Justice Working Group (CJWG). A legislatively mandated subgroup of the CAC, this task force has been meeting for several months to develop a working definition of impacted communities that will help determine how and where CLCPA investments are made. Consultants working with the group include a team that has previously advised California energy regulators in developing a working definition of similarly targeted communities there.
Since other advisory panels also need a working environmental justice definition to complete their work, the CJWG has been meeting with them to solicit input. Because environmental justice movement leaders were prominent in the advocacy for the CLCPA, EJ organizations are represented on most of the advisory panels. This added element to the process now unfolding in New York means the EJ movement, representing local communities historically impacted by climate and other environmental hazards, are represented in unprecedented numbers.
In the weeks and months ahead, ACE NY will be monitoring all aspects of CLCPA implementation. Brief reports of many of the meetings of the CAC, the CJWG and various advisory panels will be posted on our website. Schedules of upcoming CLCPA meetings are available on the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority website. Those interested in CLCPA implementation can follow our reports here. Most meetings of the various groups can be viewed live through links provided on the NYSERDA website. While public participation is not possible part if most sessions, information about how to provide comments and ideas is. We want to stress that through this process is designed to develop the most ambitious climate and clean energy strategy in the country. Join us in staying aware and involved.
