This past year brought with it all sorts of challenges, but our team has not missed a beat! As 2022 comes to an end, we'd like to reflect on some important wins for our communities. Culminating in the long-awaited release of the NYS final Climate Action Scoping Plan - to put NYS on a path to 100% net zero emissions by 2050 - we have seen progress across multiple policy fronts this year. Of course, there’s a lot of hard work ahead, and so we hope you’ll consider a year-end donation to help NYC-EJA for the year ahead.
Wishing you all good health and happiness this holiday season and throughout the new year! Here's to an exciting and productive 2023!
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Justice in Power Plant Permitting Act |
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In January, the PEAK Coalition joined Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney at the Ravenswood Generating Station to unveil the Justice in Power Plant Permitting Act. This bill would require a cumulative impact assessment to ensure that any permitting of power plants not pose harm to the surrounding communities, and establishes the Just Energy Transition Fund to advance renewables and storage throughout the country prioritizing environmental justice communities. Press release on the bill is here.
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NYC Congressional Delegation Visit |
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In March, Chair Carolyn B. Maloney of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and Chair Raúl M. Grijalva of the House Committee on Natural Resources held a field hearing and press conference examining H.R. 2021 – The Environmental Justice for All Act. NYC-EJA Executive director Eddie Bautista testified and spoke at the press conference. NYC-EJA staff then toured the Ravenswood power plant, the city's largest power plant, with the Congressmembers, their staff and other advocates.
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Major Legislative and Budget Wins |
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This year NYC-EJA, our members, and allies had a number of legislative wins as the Assembly and Senate passed legislation that will help us make progress toward the goals of the CLCPA. NYC-EJA has supported these efforts in partnership with other key allies:
The Cumulative Impacts bill (S.8830/A.2103D) finally passed both houses and is a tremendous win to help course correct the legacy of inequitable siting of industrial and commercial facilities in disadvantaged communities. Find our memo of support here.
Cryptocurrency Mining Moratorium (A.7389C/S.6486D) - NYC-EJA is proud to have worked with prime sponsors Assemblymember Anna Kelles and Senator Kevin Parker, along with key allies, to convince NYS to pass a first-in-the-nation moratorium on the reopening of dirty power plants for cryptocurrency mining. The passage of A7389C/S6486D, a moratorium on “proof-of-work cryptocurrency mines” stops companies from appropriating and reactivating old and polluting power plants into dirty cryptocurrency mining operations for two years, and subjects all future permits to a full environmental impact study in the context of the CLCPA. The bill does not prohibit proof-of-stake cryptocurrency mining or any cryptocurrency transactions. Our memo of support is here.
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) Raids - Announced in this year's budget, NYS stopped the practice of raiding revenue from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a program designed to charge carbon pollution from power plants. Previously, $269 million of RGGI funds has been transferred away from investments in energy efficiency, renewables, and carbon pollution reduction over the course of New York's participation with RGGI. Read NYC-EJA and EANY's joint statement here.
Electric Vehicle State Procurement bill (S.2838C/A.2412B) will require state fleet procurement requiring at least 25% of fleets to be made up of zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) by 2025 and 50% by 2030. This has been a top priority of ElectrifyNY.
ElectrifyNY scored a major victory with the inclusion of a 2035 zero-emissions school bus fleet mandate in the NY state budget. The mandate also includes a provision that all new school bus purchases be zero emissions by 2027 and enables the Office of General Services and NYSERDA to provide financial and technical support to districts serving disadvantaged communities struggling with multiple crises. The coalition also scored a win through the inclusion of public transportation systems in the “zero-emission bus roadmap” that will guide the state in electrifying electric school buses and public transit buses throughout the state. Following this news, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced it will deploy 60 electric buses to bus routes that serve communities with high asthma rates. Read the coalition’s full statement here!
NYS Voted for the Environmental Bond Act - 60% of New Yorkers across the state voted in favor of climate funding by voting for the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, which gives the state the green light to borrow $4.2 billion, including investments in conservation and climate-crisis adaptation measures.
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Report on Transitioning NYPA's NYC Peaker Plants to Battery Storage by 2030 |
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In April, the PEAK Coalition released a study in collaboration with the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to analyze pathways to transition NYPA’s peaker plants with battery storage alternatives. The joint study results from a landmark agreement between NYPA and PEAK to explore available options to transition NYPA’s six peaker power plants in New York City to cleaner energy technologies. Given site characteristics and battery density assumptions, the study finds that each of NYPA's peakers could individually be replaced with battery storage by 2030. With increased investment in local renewable and storage development, peakers could be shut down even sooner and provide local economic, health, and resilience benefits. Find PEAK's statement here.
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Extreme Heat: 1st NYS Law Calling for Heat Impacts Study of Disadvantaged Communities |
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NYC-EJA worked alongside Senator Parker and Assemblymember Cunningham to win the first NYS law to mandate a study analyzing the impact of the urban heat island effect on disadvantaged communities across New York State (S8431/ A10001B). We look forward to working with our state government colleagues on this first-ever and critical study of extreme heat vulnerabilities for disadvantaged communities in NYS. Find our memo of support here and the press release from the Governor's office here.
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Launch of our Community Air Mapping Project for Environmental Justice! |
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In July, we officially kicked-off the second iteration of our Community Air Mapping Project for Environmental Justice (CAMP-EJ) - a citywide project that aims to raise awareness and address the higher rates of negative health outcomes faced by low income communities of color through the disproportionate exposure to air pollution and extreme heat. CAMP-EJ is grassroots-led, involving NYC-EJA member organizations El Puente, UPROSE, The Point CDC, Nos Quedamos and GOLES, working with community members to collect and visualize localized air quality and heat data in key areas of their neighborhoods, & recommend mitigation and regulatory reform efforts to reduce air pollution disparities.
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Congestion Pricing - Back on Track! |
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In July, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced that the Central Business District Tolling Program, or congestion pricing, is moving forward! The program is expected to generate $1 billion in annual revenue to be invested into NYC’s public transit system.
NYC-EJA has long championed the congestion pricing plan and the program as an example of a targeted approach to both reducing local emissions and generating revenues to upgrade/maintain the MTA. However, NYC-EJA and our Bronx members will be sure to continue to demand no increase of emissions for the Bronx under any congestion pricing scenario. To stay connected and receive updates from the MTA click here.
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Mayoral Announcement - Historic Investment in NYC Schools |
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In October, Mayor Adams along with the Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) announced a historic investment of $4B for climate action in NYC schools. The plan includes phasing out dirty heating oil in school buildings, electrification of 100 schools by 2030 (prioritizing EJ communities), lighting retrofits, committing that all new schools be all electric, and workforce development programs. This is a huge win for the Climate Works For All coalition that has been advocating for Green Healthy Schools across NYC. Read the full press release here.
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NY Renews Campaign Launch! |
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Back in 2019, NY Renews fought for and won NY’s landmark climate law. It was a huge moment for the grassroots climate justice movement in NYS. However, 3 years after it’s passage, our hard-fought Climate Act still isn’t fully funded. The CJJP puts communities at the center of our renewable-energy future. The CJJP will fast-track the path to an equitable fossil-free future. The right investments and programs aren’t just “clean & green” but also just, equitable, and anti-racist.
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NY State's Climate Action Council Releases Final Scoping Plan! |
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On Dec 19, after more than two years in the making, the NYS Climate Action Council released the Final Scoping Plan. This plan outlines how the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) will be implemented and sets a path to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and co-pollutants, increasing the use of renewable energy and storage, and ensuring climate justice for communities across New York State. Through NY Renews, NYC-EJA has worked tirelessly with our numerous allies to ensure that the broader climate and environmental justice movement achieve major victories in this plan. Now the real work begins - Governor Hochul, the Legislature, state agencies, municipalities and neighborhoods across NY State must work together to achieve the CLCPA goals and mandates, while ensuring a just transition to a clean, reliable energy system. Find the full scoping plan here.
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Sincerely,
Eddie Bautista
Executive Director
New York City Environmental Justice Alliance
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