State legislators, the Mayor of Sleepy Hollow, students, and community leaders rallied in Westchester today to defend New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), warning that weakening the law would prolong reliance on costly fossil fuels and increase energy costs for New Yorkers.
The rally follows the Hochul Administration’s confirmation this week that it is seeking to scale back the law — a move not supported by the Assembly and Senate budget proposals, which instead include $1 billion in clean energy and energy efficiency investments to advance the state’s climate goals.
“If New York State had moved faster to take real action on our climate by passing legislation to do things like replace the obligation to serve gas, greenlight more renewable energy projects, and more – we would have lower utility bills right now. Our dependence on fossil fuels, and our failure to actually implement the CLCPA, is to blame for high costs. I’m fighting for the CLCPA because I know that if we do this the right way, we can lower costs while lowering emissions. We cannot be so afraid of fossil fuel propaganda that we fail to do what we know is right for our planet and our pocketbooks. To walk away from this opportunity would be a dereliction of duty to our children and grandchildren, who will have to live with the consequences of our inaction on climate,” said State Assemblymember Dana Levenberg.
Proposed changes could slow the transition away from fossil fuels and prolong reliance on an energy system tied to volatile gas prices. Gas bills are rising four times faster than inflation, and because New York imports nearly all of the roughly $50 billion in gas and oil it consumes each year, households remain exposed to fossil fuel price spikes driven by global markets and extreme weather events.
“Renewables are cheaper and cleaner than gas or nuclear—and they are essential to achieving a more stable, affordable energy system. Rolling back New York’s clean energy goals now would only force us to keep investing in outdated infrastructure, just as extreme weather worsens and utility bills keep rising. Instead, we need to build on our progress and use the CLCPA’s tools to accelerate New York’s transition to an affordable, reliable, renewable energy future,” said State Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky.
“I was proud to join 29 of my Senate colleagues in signing a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul making clear that we oppose any effort to roll back New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), and I am proud to join advocates and community leaders today to further that call. As New York faces increasingly severe storms and the growing impacts of climate change, we must meet this moment with strong, science-based climate policy. Rolling back the commitments made in the CLPCA will put New Yorkers at greater risk and increase the financial burdens that come with climate related disasters. All the while, I am proud to be leading efforts to address the utility rate crisis we are facing. I hear every day from constituents facing undue burdens of outrageous utility bills. We can tackle these challenges, but we cannot go backwards. We must continue the work of building a cleaner, more resilient future. I thank Mothers Out Front and the many advocates who have worked tirelessly to protect the CLCPA and advance climate policies to protect our environment, communities and our future,” said State Senator Shelley Mayer.
Passed in 2019, the Climate Law established a framework to move New York away from an energy system that relies heavily on gas for home heating, cooking and electricity generation toward one built on efficient buildings and locally generated clean power. According to the state’s Climate Scoping Plan, remaining dependent on gas would cost roughly $115 billion more than implementing the Climate Law, while full implementation is projected to create more than 300,000 clean energy jobs across the state.
“New York should be leading the way on climate action. I want my kids to have the joy one day of watching their own kids playing outside, breathing it all in. Let’s protect the air and outdoors for all of them. Protect the Climate Law,” said Sasha Skon, a Tarrytown mother and Mothers Out Front member
Organizations involved in the event include Mothers Out Front, Food & Water Watch, Climate Families Westchester and CCoHope Indivisible.
Additional statements from lawmakers and advocates in defense of New York’s Climate Law can be found below:
“Shame on Governor Hochul for attempting to weaken regulations that protect New Yorkers from the brunt of the climate crisis. In a time when we are seeing increased extreme weather events as a result of burning fossil fuels, New Yorkers are suffering while Hochul’s fossil fuel agenda lines the pockets of fossil fuel corporations. We need our legislators to fight for us to protect our health, climate, and pockets,” said Melissa Hoffmann, organizer with Food & Water Watch.
“Communities across New York want an energy system that is reliable, affordable and healthier for our residents,” said Marjorie Hsu, Mayor of Sleepy Hollow “Protecting the Climate law keeps us moving toward cleaner energy, stronger local economies and lower long-term costs for families while creating over 300,000 new jobs by 2040. New York imports nearly $50 billion in gas and oil annually, inflicting uncontrollable price spikes on households. Our gas and electric bills are through the roof because we are bearing the cost of utilities upgrading infrastructure that is 50-60 years old. Governor Hochul, please let’s invest in clean energy instead.”
“New York’s climate law promises that we will make sure our kids inherit a safe, healthy world. Walking back the climate law means breaking promises to children. Hochul, who has proclaimed herself “New York’s first mom governor,” should know better,” said Stacy Williams, co-founder of Climate Families Westchester.