CLIMATE JUSTICE
NY’s Legislative Session ended June 5!
Here is where RAC-NY’s priority Climate Justice legislation stands:
There has been a lot of disappointment. New York fundamentally weakened its status as a leader on climate change, including:
1. Reducing NY’s next goal for climate emissions (a mandatory 2030 goal is now a non-mandatory 2040 goal).
2. Delaying the deadline for the Governor to put in place the policies necessary to meet those goals (to 2028).
3. Changing how NY counts emissions from natural gas — against the guidance of climate scientists — to make NY’s emissions lower “on paper” without changes in reality.
However, New York’s leaders did enact a handful of key climate bills before the end of session, including bills that enabled solar panels on balconies and a pause approval of data centers.
June 5 (the final day of session) the legislature passed a one-year moratorium on data centers, The Responsible Data Center Development Act (S.10462/A.11560).
This gives NY’s leaders time to adopt measures to protect water and energy resources — and potentially help NY get back on track with its overall efforts to reduce emissions. Details here.
Days earlier, the legislature passed a version of the SUNNY Act (A.9111-C / S.8512-C). The legislation legalizes “balcony solar” and portable plug-in solar devices, allowing residents to safely generate up to 1,200 watts of power without pre-approval from local utility companies.
A huge thanks and congratulations to everyone for mobilizing in the last week of Session to help get these passed! Now we just have to get Gov. Hochul to sign them into law.