President Doreen Harris:
Thank you for the opportunity to submit comments on the draft of the 2025 New York Energy Plan (Draft Plan).
RPA is an independent, non-profit regional planning organization that works to improve the prosperity, infrastructure, sustainability and quality of life of the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut metropolitan region. Since 1929, RPA has produced four comprehensive long-term plans to direct the growth, development, and sustainability of our region. The ideas and recommendations from these plans have shaped the region’s infrastructure, open spaces, and economic development projects for the past century.
Building on this legacy, RPA strongly supports Governor Hochul’s directive to create a forward-thinking New York Energy Plan, particularly at a time when state climate action has never been more important.
Introduction
In 2019, New York enacted the landmark Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) to herald New York State into a climate friendly energy system. The CLCPA sets out to reduce New York’s economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2050, with a zero-emission electricity system by 2040. Benchmarks of the CLCPA include 70% renewable generation by 2030, 9 GW of offshore wind by 2035, 6 GW of energy storage by 2030, and 10 GW of solar by 2030. 35-40% of the benefits of clean energy investments must be directed towards disadvantaged communities, as stated in the CLCPA. While the 2025 solar benchmark has been met, it is likely that other benchmarks will be missed, in part due to federal policy and COVID-19 related supply chain disruptions that have affected every sector of the economy. In light of these disruptions, it is prudent New York lays out a comprehensive plan for all sectors of the economy to reach the legally mandated 85% by 2050 reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. RPA applauds New York for creating this plan and offers suggestions on a chapter-by-chapter basis.
