John,

During my first week in office, when New York was hit by Hurricane Ida, I visited homes in Queens, Staten Island, and beyond and saw the devastation communities faced firsthand.

I’ll never forget meeting Murphy, an East Elmhurst resident, who was sound asleep when the flooding began. Water continuously crept in until two of his basement windows crashed open, forcing the water up to his neck. He swam for his life until first responders put their own lives on the line to save Murphy and countless other New Yorkers.

Since then, we've faced multiple "hundred-year storms," which are arriving more frequently than their moniker suggests.

In the past few months alone, we had blizzards in Buffalo bring the most snowfall the state had ever seen in a 24-hour period. We faced devasting flooding in the Hudson Valley that washed away streets and cars. We saw orange skies from wildfires that made New York City and Syracuse experience the worst air quality on the planet.

These events are glaring reminders that while we are the first generation that has felt the impact of climate change, we are the last generation to be able to do anything about it.

Climate inaction is not an option — so New York is stepping up.  

• We authorized $4.2 billion for the Environmental Bond Act to help preserve and restore New York’s natural resources and clean water, while supporting green jobs.
  
• Earlier this year, we set a national precedent by requiring all-electric building construction by 2029.
  
• I joined 25 other U.S. Climate Alliance governors to tackle building emissions and lower energy costs, committing to the ambitious goal of installing 20 million heat pump installations by 2030.
  
• We began construction on the Champlain Hudson Power Express converter station — the first major fossil fuel site to be converted to a clean energy facility in New York City.
  
• We’re investing $200 million to help low-income families make their homes more efficient and lower their energy bills, because clean energy and energy affordability go hand-in-hand.

Climate change is the defining challenge of our era. 

John, together we can and will make a profound difference and protect all that we love about New York.

Ever Upward,

Gov. Kathy Hochul