The TCCPI Newsletter
Issue #73: November-December 2022
Greetings!

Welcome to the November-December 2022 issue of the TCCPI Newsletter, an e-update from the Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative (TCCPI).
Crab apples in December. Photo by Jo Zimny Photos licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Our Supporters
TCCPI is a multisector collaboration seeking to leverage the climate action commitments made by Cornell University, Ithaca College, Tompkins Cortland Community College, Tompkins County, the City of Ithaca, and the Town of Ithaca to mobilize a countywide energy efficiency effort and accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy. Launched in June 2008 and generously supported by the Park Foundation, TCCPI is a project of the Sustainable Markets Foundation.

We are committed to helping Tompkins County achieve a dynamic economy, healthy environment, and resilient community through a focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy. 
Governor Hochul Signs Kelles Bill on Cryptomining Moratorium
by Jessica Wickham, Tompkins Weekly, 12/7/22
Greenidge crypto-mining operation on Seneca Lake. Photo courtesy of Seneca Lake Guardian.
Late last month, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law a bill that places a two-year moratorium on future fossil-fuel cryptomining operations and initiates a study from the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to understand the full impact cryptomining has on the environment.

The bill was drafted and championed by Assemblymember Anna Kelles (125th District), and affects data-mining centers that use proof-of-work as a currency validating method, a process that requires a massive consumption of energy to power computers processing mathematical equations at peak speeds.
Kelles explained in a recent interview that she wrote the bill “in response to learning about the magnitude of the environmental impacts of large-scale cryptocurrency mining,” particularly as it pertained to the cryptomining operation at Greenidge in Yates County. Greenidge, according to Kelles, recently purchased a fossil-fuel power plant.

“Their original intent as it was officially proposed was not to do cryptocurrency mining, but very soon within months to a year of when they proposed their plan, as cryptocurrency … value really skyrocketed, they very quickly shifted towards prioritizing mining over providing energy to the grid, which was their original proposed intent,” she said.

Kelles also learned that there are roughly 40 retired power plants, which she called “mothballed power plants,” across the state, and there were efforts to bring cryptomining to other areas of the state as well.

“I had sort of an epiphany thinking about the moratorium on fracking in New York State with the intention of doing a full environmental impact assessment to understand the environmental impacts of the industry,” she said. “And being a scientist, the thought of collecting data, of course, it’s always very appealing to me because I like to make decisions based on data. So, the inspiration of the bill was a flash late at night, inspired by both my concern and by the process of how we went about evaluating and then regulating and ultimately banning fracking in in the state.”

While Hochul initially hesitated to sign the bill before Election Day, new momentum in the past few weeks led the governor to finally sign it late last month. Kelles expressed great appreciation toward the governor for her decision.

“I think that it was absolutely the right thing to do,” Kelles said. “It is a very solid bill because it walks a fine line, focusing on an area of cryptocurrency mining that could be singly the most environmentally impactful and singly undo all of our in our efforts to meet our environmental goals, which is the purchasing and operation of fossil-fuel-based power plants in the state for cryptocurrency mining. And that’s why the bill specifically focuses on that area so that we can create a pause in this trend.”

Kelles added that she was glad to see Hochul recognizing that this gives the state the opportunity to be a “climate champion, while not hindering economic development in the technology sphere.”
Next TCCPI Meeting
Friday, January 27, 2023
9 to 11 am
TCCPI meetings have moved online. Contact Peter Bardaglio, the TCCPI coordinator, for further details at pbardaglio@gmail.com.
Cooperative Extension Receives $3.5M Grant for Clean Energy Hub
by Brian Crandall, Ithaca Voice, 12/12/22
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has announced that Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County (CCETC) has been named the “clean energy hub” for the Southern Tier and was awarded a $3.5 million grant to help fulfill that mission.

Each of the state’s 10 regions had at least one “clean energy hub” designated to serve as regional coordinator for NYSERDA, which granted a total of over $52 million. Except for New York City, most regions received similar amounts.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County will oversee the Southern Tier Clean Energy Hub. Photo by Sandy Repp.
According to NYSERDA's press release, designation as a clean energy hub means each organization will “serve as centers of outreach, awareness, and education in regions across New York State and help foster residents’ participation, especially those in underserved or otherwise disadvantaged communities, in New York’s clean energy transition.” The state has committed to dedicating at least 35 percent of the benefits from clean energy investments to disadvantaged communities to ensure an equitable transition to renewable energy sources.

“The funds will primarily be used to hire staff from around the 8-county (Southern Tier) region that will engage residents, especially people with limited income and from disadvantaged communities, around ways to reduce energy use and save money,” said CCETC’s Karim Beers, who is spearheading the organization's efforts as the regional hub. “The Hubs’ community energy advisers (CEAs) will provide information and support through direct outreach at food lines and community festivals, as well as through workshops and presentations, to help people access incentives and programs to make sure their homes have enough insulation, are sealed up well, have affordable and clean heating systems, and have access to solar power. There are programs for homeowners and renters.”

Beers added that the staff will focus on helping people access clean energy jobs, largely through training or connecting them to training programs.

“CEAs will also create spaces where people can give input on energy-related programs and policies that are under development by the state,” he said. “The CEA serving Tompkins County will partner with other local initiatives such as the Ithaca Green New Deal and others to contribute to their success.”

The CEAs will assist, then, in making programs spurred by those government acts accessible and understandable, helping the city and state to achieve the goals they set forth. They will serve as policy translators and program guides for their communities.

Beers added that CCETC is currently interviewing candidates next week for the Tompkins community energy advisor position for an intended January start. Advisers in Delaware, Tioga and Chemung counties have already started.
NY Renews Coalition Launches Climate, Jobs, and Justice Package
by Peter Bardaglio, Tompkins Weekly, 11/9/22
Climate Justice Cornell sponsored the Nov. 18th rally, kicking off the NY Renews campaign in Ithaca. Photo by Hannah Brodsky.
NY Renews, a statewide coalition of more than 320 environmental justice, community, faith, labor and multi-issue organizations, recently announced the public campaign launch for its Climate, Jobs, and Justice Package. The campaign seeks to build public support for these bills ahead of the legislative session that kicks off in January 2023.

Communities across the state rolled out the Climate, Jobs, and Justice Package last month, looking to make the promises of the CLCPA a reality. The Ithaca event was sponsored by Climate Justice Cornell and others on Nov. 18 at Thompson Park.
The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), passed in 2019, calls for 70% renewable energy in the state by 2030, 100% zero emission electricity in the state by 2040, and an 85% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

NY Renews played a key role in getting the CLCPA on the books three years ago. Local organizations in the coalition include Climate Justice Cornell, Sunrise Ithaca, Sustainable Finger Lakes, and the Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative.

The Climate, Jobs, and Justice Package, if approved by the State Legislature, will rapidly decarbonize New York, make the state healthier and more equitable, ensure a just transition for workers, and help create an accessible green economy for all. Overall, the bills individually and collectively advance the goals of the CLCPA.

“Ithacans have fought hard to ensure that equity is at the center of the IGND, and the Climate, Jobs, and Justice Package would extend that commitment to the state level,” said Siobhan Hull, coordinator of Sunrise Ithaca and member of Climate Justice Cornell. “As vulnerable New Yorkers continue to be hardest hit by pollution, economic recessions and the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to invest in our frontline communities and secure a just transition for all.”

The Climate, Jobs, and Justice Package has three main components: 1) fully fund the CLCPA so that it can achieve its objectives; 2) build renewable energy for all and create green union jobs; and 3) hold polluters accountable and ensure everyone pays their fair share in taxes.

Securing the passage of the Climate, Jobs, and Justice Package will not be easy. Implementing these kinds of transformative policies will always generate opposition. In this case, the fossil fuel industry has mounted an aggressive lobbying campaign to undermine the state’s climate targets.

A new report released by the nonprofit Public Accountability Initiative describes in devastating detail the attempts of various players in the fossil fuel industry to obstruct climate action in the state.
According to the report, millions of dollars have been spent by the industry and its supporters “to delay, water down and otherwise frustrate the implementation of the CLCPA and other key climate legislation.”

The study points to the presence of fossil fuel executives on the Climate Action Council, the body appointed to create a roadmap for meeting the climate and energy goals of the CLCPA, and questions their support of the state’s clean energy initiatives.

“Legislators, communities and other stakeholders invested in a cleaner, greener, decarbonized future for New York must stay vigilant around efforts by the fossil fuel industry to muzzle and erode the state’s most far-reaching climate legislation ever passed,” cautions the report.
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One Last Thing: The Climate Action Council Delivers
The Climate Action Council, in a momentous step on December 19, approved the state's Final Climate Scoping Plan in a 19-3 vote. This plan provides a detailed guide to reaching the ambitious climate goals delineated in the 2019 Climate Act, including 70% renewable energy by 2030 and 100% zero emission electricity by 2040. The ramifications are far reaching: New York must retire fossil fuel plants and stop burning fossil fuels like gas in buildings.

This critical milestone represents the culmination of over three years of collaboration and over a hundred meetings, and includes contributions from the Council's Advisory Panels and Working Groups. The release of the Draft Scoping Plan exactly one year ago led to a public comment period that included 11 public hearings across the state and more than 35,000 written comments

The scoping plan establishes a comprehensive foundation for dramatically lowering greenhouse gas emissions, electrifying buildings and transportation systems, securing climate justice, and advancing New York's commitment to economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050. It outlines changes in state policy that, if implemented, will not only move New York away from fossil fuels but also towards a just energy transition, one that will finally address the harm that pollution from conventional energy systems have inflicted on frontline communities. It identifies strategies to reduce the environmental burden of greenhouse gas emissions and associated pollutants suffered by these communities as well as address energy affordability.
The first meeting of the Climate Action Council took place in March 2020. Photo credit: NYSERDA.
The scoping plan makes clear that the benefits of the clean energy transition must not overlook workers and communities that have relied on the fossil fuel economy for their livelihood, and emphasizes that they should not be left behind.

At the heart of the scoping plan is a determination to make sure that the advancement of a clean energy economy results in new economic development opportunities throughout the state and supports long-term, well-paying jobs. At the same time, the plan offers recommendations regarding how to provide support and tools to workers and communities affected by the energy transition.
What happens if the plan is not implemented? The state estimates that the cost of inaction will exceed the cost of action by more than $115 billion. That's a big price tag for failing to stave off runaway climate change and ignoring environmental justice and health concerns.

Make no mistake, the plan is not perfect. The final draft postpones the dates by which New York will move away from fossil fuel use for construction of new homes and commercial buildings, putting them off one year later than in the draft plan passed in December 2021. To take just one example, the prohibition of fossil fuels in new construction for single family homes will occur in 2025, not 2024. As Cornell Professor Robert Howarth, a member of the Climate Action Council, points out, this delay is especially disappointing given that the building sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Another area inviting scrutiny involves "renewable natural gas" and hydrogen for use in gas pipelines, a ploy by the fossil gas industry to extend its operation and profits into the future. Raya Salter, founder and executive director of the Energy Justice Law and Policy Center and member of the Climate Action Council, rightly terms these so-called alternative fuels "a dangerous distraction." In her words, "there is at best a limited role for alternative fuels, which are in many cases infeasible, costly, untested, leak-prone and carbon intensive to produce."

Despite these flaws, the scoping plan marks a crucial turning point in New York's energy transition and establishes an important framework for moving forward. Next steps include presentation of the plan to the governor and state legislature, and the creation of new rules and regulations to take into account its recommended policy changes. As this process unfolds, we should all work to ensure that the scoping plan is funded and fully implemented to ensure a just transition for all New Yorkers.
Be sure to visit the website for TCCPI's latest project, the Ithaca 2030 District, an interdisciplinary public-private collaboration working to create a groundbreaking high-performance building district in Downtown Ithaca.
309 N. Aurora St.,
Ithaca, NY 14850
207-229-6183