Hello,

My name is Kyle Mason. I am an Associate Planner with Regional Plan Association.

RPA is an independent non-profit civic organization that develops and promotes ideas to improve the economic health, environmental resiliency, and quality of life of the New York metropolitan area.

We are here to voice support for the New York Draft Energy Plan, as well as offer comments and suggestions to improve and build upon the strong foundation that New York State has built.

In a time where federal support for climate initiatives has all but vanished, it is imperative for states and communities to take decisive action to mitigate climate change as best they can.

While it is likely that we will miss some of the near term goals laid out in the CLCPA, we must continue to aggressively pursue long term goals. In the last five years, despite the setbacks that have put us off track in the short term, New York still has made impressive progress in reducing economy-wide emissions. It is imperative to continue to push forward to a cleaner New York.

There is clear evidence that our demand for energy is steadily increasing as we electrify more and move quickly towards an AI-influenced future. We need more energy, and if we want to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, meet our goals, and advance new industries in the state, we need that energy to be renewable.

One of the best ways to meet our clean energy goals is to continue to build and support an offshore wind future. As we have seen with South Fork Wind, offshore wind is reliable, efficient, safe, and necessary for New York’s energy system. It puts people to work, and delivers energy at a known and set rate. The state must continue to support Empire Wind and Sunrise Wind, and lay the groundwork for future projects by supporting transmission infrastructure today.

The state should also work closely with stakeholders to produce a clear pathway for recommitment to offshore wind goals, project solicitations, and improved procurement and implementation processes, upon the lifting of federal obstacles - making the state offshore wind ready.

If we are to achieve a clean, renewable energy system by 2040 and a net zero emissions economy by 2050, we must do more today to upgrade and improve our energy grid.

Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to working with the state on implementing these goals and plan on submitting more comprehensive written comments.