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Governor Hochul Commits New York to Stronger Energy Efficiency Standards for Buildings and Appliances
Reducing Utility Bills and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Sonal Jessel (second from right) was on hand this week when Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Advanced Building Codes, Appliance, & Equipment Efficiency Standards Act ([link removed]) (S.9405 ([link removed]) /A.10439 ([link removed]) ) into law. By establishing stronger energy efficiency standards for buildings and appliances, this law will save New Yorkers a collective $15 billion on their utility bills over the next 15 years while keeping 17 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere.

“We thank New York State Governor Kathy Hochul for signing the Advanced Building Codes, Appliance, & Equipment Efficiency Standards Act into law,” said Jessel. “Reducing utility rates and greenhouse gas emissions is critical because low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by climate change, which is fueled by greenhouse gases, and these same communities are forced to spend disproportionate amounts of their household income on utility bills.”

The Governor also signed the Utility Thermal Energy Network & Jobs Act and the Solar Prevailing Wage bill, both of which we supported as well. The former enables utilities to develop thermal energy networks, which will use geothermal energy to heat and cool large building complexes and even entire blocks. The latter requires a prevailing wage for solar projects that are 1 MW or larger.

You can read the official announcement of the signings here ([link removed]) , and New York Times reporter Anne Barnard’s breakdown of the political ramifications of each new law here ([link removed]) . We look forward to Governor Hochul signing the Cumulative Impacts bill ([link removed]) in the near future!

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Peggy Shepard Co-Authors Op-Ed on Importance of New York's CLCPA
Joins NRDC's Manish Bapna in Urging State to Stay the Course

Peggy Shepard co-authored an Op-Ed in the Daily News with NRDC President & CEO Manish Bapna on the importance of adhering to New York State’s Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act (CLCPA) despite fossil fuel lobbyists trying to weaken it. Read the Op-Ed here ([link removed]) .

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Naadiya Hutchinson Calls for State & City Climate Action at DC Rally

Naadiya Hutchinson spoke at a Washington, DC rally for bold climate action in response to last week’s Supreme Court ruling on WV vs. EPA ([link removed]) . With the US Capitol as a backdrop, she called attention to the inequitable impacts of the ruling, noting that power plants are more likely to be sited in or near communities of color, which have intentionally become sacrifice zones for pollution, and how these communities are also disproportionately impacted by climate change. She concluded by encouraging everyone to follow the lead of grassroots advocates in New York and California, which have worked at the state and city levels to pass bold climate action and create inclusive green jobs. Watch her speech here ([link removed]) .

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What You Need to Know to Help Your School District Transition to Electric Buses

Anastasia Gordon explains how you can use the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program to help transition your school district to electric school buses, reducing air pollution and improving public health in your community. The blog post also explains why diesel school buses are so harmful to the children they transport and the communities they traverse. Read the blog post here ([link removed]) .

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Building a Better Electric Grid
Come Learn About FERC’s Proposal

Anastasia Gordon will be among the panelists at Generating Change for a Just Grid, which we are hosting with the State Energy & Environmental Impact Center at 12:00 PM on Wednesday, July 13. The discussion will center around the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s proposal for an improved electric transmission grid. RSVP here ([link removed]) .

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Member BBQ: Mark Your Calendar

Mark your calendar for our "Beat the Heat" Member BBQ. We’ll be gathering at 155 West 142nd Street for our annual barbecue from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM on Saturday, July 16. RSVP here ([link removed]) .

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Climate Justice Working Group Meeting with BroSis on Composting & Food Justice

Our Climate Justice Working Group will be meeting for a special in-person event at the Frank White Memorial Garden (506 West 143rd Street, between Broadway & Hamilton Place) at 5:00 PM on Thursday, July 21. We’ll be volunteering with our colleagues at the Brotherhood Sister Sol ([link removed]) , who own and care for the garden, to learn about their unique "hot box" composting method and other food justice initiatives they’re spearheading. RSVP here ([link removed]) .

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Learn How to Write Legislation
WE ACT's Intro to Writing Bills That Can Get Passed

Do you want to learn how to write a bill, or at least better understand the process? Come to our virtual workshop on how to write legislation that can get passed. This is the first of a two-part series. Join us and our team of experts at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, July 27. RSVP here ([link removed]) .

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Environmental Justice 101
Peggy Shepard & Bailey Helping Train the Next Generation

Peggy Shepard and Bailey will speak with participants of Start:Empowerment & Sustainable Brooklyn’s Redefining Justice in the Climate Movement summer school program for youth at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, August 9, providing them with an overview of environmental justice and how they can get involved. Learn more here ([link removed]) .

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In a Courthouse News ([link removed]) article on the Department of Justice’s plan to promote climate resilience and the health of the environment while holding violators accountable, Dana Johnson called out its lack of enforcement where it’s needed most, in environmental justice communities, and urged them to prioritize protecting voting rights. The article has been picked up by a number of other news outlets, such as the Missoula Current ([link removed]) .

As part of an article on actions that can be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the wake of last week’s Supreme Court ruling, Naadiya Hutchinson raised concern in E&E News ([link removed]) about environmental justice communities being left behind if an energy transition is not equitable and inclusive. The article also appeared in Scientific American ([link removed]) .

New York Focus ([link removed]) wrote a great article explaining how Con Edison is trying to raise your utility rates so it can expand its fossil fuel infrastructure. Since burning fossil fuels produces air pollution and contributes to climate change, both of which disproportionately harm communities of color, we have been working to call attention to the issue and protect our communities from an even greater utility debt burden. We’re referenced in the article and helped inform the story, beginning with our Utility Debt Rally earlier this year.

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East Harlem Heats Up
EPA Region 2 Staff Joined Us for a Tour

Last Friday, Sonal Jessel (fourth from left) and our Cecil Corbin-Mark Fellows, Liz Reyes (far left) and Caleb Smith (second from right), took the Environmental Protection Agency’s Regional Administrator for Region 2 Lisa Garcia ([link removed]) (fifth from left) and members of her staff on our East Harlem Heat Tour. The walking tour showcases environmental issues plaguing East Harlem, such as extreme heat and flooding, as well as our advocacy work ([link removed]) to improve the environmental and economic sustainability of the community while safeguarding its affordability and cultural heritage. The tour begins near the Metro-North Railroad Station on East 125th Street and ends down at the New York City Department of Sanitation’s stinky, crumbling 99th Street Depot, which received a unanimous thumbs down from participants in the photo above.

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Free Mammograms
Early Breast Cancer Detection Saves Lives

The American-Italian Cancer Foundation’s Mammogram Bus will be providing FREE mammogram screenings at the A. Philip Randolph Senior Center (108 West 146th Street, Near Malcom X Boulevard) from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM on Friday, July 15. If you are 40-79 years old, live in New York City, and have not had a mammogram in the past 12 months, you are eligible to schedule a free mammogram. No co-pays required and deductibles are waived. Uninsured patients also welcomed. Call 212-281-1349 or 877-628-9090 today to schedule your mammogram for next Friday, July 15!

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New York Providing Utility Debt Relief for Low-Income Households

As you may recall, we have been advocating for utility debt relief ([link removed]) because more than 1 million New Yorkers are struggling to pay their utility bills. This crisis has hit low-income communities and communities of color the hardest, as they must spend a disproportionate amount of their household income on utility bills. And with the COVID-19 pandemic hitting these same communities the hardest, it’s not surprising that many have found themselves behind on their utility bills.

We have some good news to report! Thanks to the New York State Public Service Commission, Governor Kathy Hochul, and the State Legislature, $250 million will be distributed to those in need, helping pay down household utility debt ([link removed]) . Current utility customers participating in the Energy Affordability Program (EAP) will receive a one-time bill credit that eliminates arrears accrued through May 1, 2022.
But if you are in a low-income household that is not already enrolled in your utility’s EAP program, you can still enroll to receive this credit. If you are a low-income household interested in enrolling, contact our Climate Justice Team at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) and they can help guide you through the process.

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