SIGN & SHARE PETITION HERE

The transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gases in New York’s economy, accounting for 36% of emissions, but New York has not identified an interim target for reducing these emissions. New York State has committed to achieve 100% net-zero emissions by 2050 and under Governor Cuomo’s leadership has made near-term targets to aggressively develop renewable electricity and improve energy efficiency.

In order to get to 100% clean energy, we need bold targets not only in the electric sector, but also in the transportation sector, which  presently lacks adequate interim targets to ensure we are on track to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. That’s why we’re calling on Governor Cuomo to adopt a bold interim target to reduce climate emissions from on-road transportation by 55% by 2035.

Achieving a 55% reduction in motor vehicle emissions would provide massive benefits to New York. Increasing electric vehicles and decreasing reliance on cars would provide billions in public health and economic benefits, keep tens of billions of transportation fueling dollars in the New York economy, increase mobility, and benefit communities most overburdened by air pollution.

And it would ensure that New York is on track in 2035 for our 2050 climate protection goals. Send a message to Governor Cuomo and let him know that New Yorkers want to lead the nation on transportation goals.

Energy efficiency means less fracking, decreased emissions, cleaner air, healthier communities, and lower bills.

Tell Governor Cuomo and his Public Service Commission to make energy efficiency mandates that benefit all New Yorkers.

Our energy system needs major changes. Fossil fuel development and use are driving climate disasters all over the world, while energy costs push vulnerable New Yorkers out of their homes. This is why it’s so important to use less energy to meet our needs —improving the energy efficiency of our buildings and homes is a necessary step for us to get to a fully renewable energy system that works for all New Yorkers.

Earlier this year, Governor Cuomo announced a new energy efficiency standard, and the Public Service Commission asked the utilities to come up with plans to meet the new standard. Grassroots groups and community organizations made many well-documented calls to make energy efficiency measures accessible to low income New Yorkers, and the utilities ignored these calls.

That’s completely unacceptable. There’s too much at stake. That’s why we need the Public Service Commission to mandate the following commonsense measures:

1. Make money available for health measures like asbestos and mold remediation, and ensure that the evaluation processes agencies use fully incorporate all the societal benefits of serving low income households.

2. Our state agencies, NYSERDA and the DPS, along with the utilities, should develop and pilot an inclusive finance model for residents of New York who struggle to take out a loan. No one should be excluded from the health, safety, and financial benefits of energy efficiency.

3. New climate legislation passed in New York sets a mandate that at least 35% of clean energy benefits go to disadvantaged communities, while codifying a more aspirational goal of 40% of benefits. However, the new law only requires that 20% of new ratepayer funds should be invested in LMI communities for energy efficiency. For a just transition to a clean energy economy, a minimum of 40% of new funds should be directed to benefit low-to-moderate-income households and disadvantaged communities.

4. Public comment processes need to be easily accessible to residents who may not be well versed in the technical aspects of the topic at hand. LMI program creation by NYSERDA and the PSC must be designed in collaboration with the communities that these programs will serve. The process for integration of suggestions must be transparent. Where input is not incorporated, agencies should say why not. We refuse to let our participation create legitimacy for stakeholder processes if our communities aren’t actually being heard.

More info & SIGN PETITION HERE

Here’s two action items: 1) Sign the petition, and two) share this message.
It’s vital we get an additional 500 signatures in the next couple of days. This is totally doable. Please sign the petition and leave a comment letting me know you’ve signed it. And also please share.
The off-shore wind project is vital to making a go of the CLCPA. Please sign this petition.
15 wind turbines are proposed to be installed 35 miles out in the ocean off Montauk point at the end of Long Island. These wind turbines will provide electric power to 70,000 homes in the towns of East Hampton and Southampton. The Town of East Hampton needs this project to help with our transition to renewable energy, meet our 100% renewable commitment, meet our summer peak demand, and most importantly do our part to reduce our carbon emissions ASAP.
There is some controversy (NIMBYism in my opinion) over the point at which the cable comes ashore.
A group of concerned residents formed Win With Wind which is an independent, non-partisan, non- profit organization dedicated to producing fact-based information regarding the benefits of renewable offshore wind energy. Please visit our website at: https://www.winwithwind.org

After several weeks of research and deliberation, the Steering Committee of Win With Wind has voted to endorse Beach Lane, Wainscott as the preferred landing site for the transmission cable to come ashore, primarily because of its close proximity to the ultimate destination, the Cove Hollow Substation. Our online petition and accompanying map illustrates our reasons for taking this step. We believe that the resolution of this community controversy will take us one step closer to success with the South Fork Wind Farm.

If you agree with us, please click on THIS LINK AND SIGN THE PETITION

This year, we passed the nation’s strongest climate bill, setting our state on a path to be completely fossil fuel free by 2050. Now, the real work begins. We’re asking for $1 billion in this year’s New York State budget to begin the work of building a Just Transition for our communities.

This money will go to:

• Building large-scale renewables and updating our grid
• Community led projects to increase efficiency and build local sources of renewable energy
• Workers and communities that host toxic fossil fuel projects
• Making our buildings and public transportation more energy efficient
• At least 40% of funds will go to communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis

Tweet at Governor Cuomo now and tell him we need to put our money where our mouth is and include $1 billion for a Just Transition in the 2020 NY State Budget. 

Email and tweet here

More info here

Let New York Towns Enter the New Clean Energy Economy 

New York is leading the nation with the mandate of 70% renewable energy in the electricity sector by 2030 but in order to get large-scale wind and solar projects built we need to encourage towns to welcome wind and solar projects to their communities.

Sign the petition below to send a message to Governor Cuomo and Budget Director Robert Mujica to make sure that renewable energy projects move forward in New York State today!

Read & sign the petition here

This online teach-in will review the achievable goals New York can set in order to reduce the emissions from the transportation sector, which is the largest emitter of green house gases in the State! We will also review some strategies to reach the proposed clean transportation goals such as the Transportation & Climate Initiative and EV charging station invectives. Tune in to hear from our speakers, learn how you can take action and ask questions!

Speakers:
Allison Considine, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter
Bruce Ho, Climate & Clean Energy at NRDC
Victoria McGarril, Sustainable Transportation Solutions at Energetics

Register here to receive the teach-in link

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* Zoom will need to be downloaded on your device to attend the teach-in https://zoom.us/download *

This webinar will provide updates on recent milestones and activities of NYSERDA’s offshore wind program, including Launching New York’s Offshore Wind Industry: Phase 1 Report, Technical Working Group products, economic and supply chain development efforts, and research initiatives.

Thursday, December 5
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Register here 

This webinar is a follow-on to CESA’s ESTAP webinars on energy storage projects and implementation at municipal utilities.

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), a CESA member, is focused on deep carbon reduction via two key strategies: increasing renewable energy and strategic electrification. Significant incentives are available to developers, builders, and homeowners who are investing in all-electric homes and integrated technologies like energy storage. SMUD encourages building electrification through its All-Electric Smart Homes program, which can use on-site or off-site renewable energy for heating & cooling, hot water, cooking, and transportation. Seven all-electric smart homes communities are currently under development.

In addition to its Smart Homes program, SMUD offers a storage program that provides incentives for homeowners that are interested in sharing the resource with the utility. When coupled with solar, the storage system can store the excess generation and allow the customer to dispatch the battery during peak load hours when electricity is more expensive. By shifting battery dispatch to peak periods, a homeowner not only reduces their carbon emissions, but also reduces demand on the electric grid and their electric bill. Additional value can be passed onto the customer when the battery is dispatched to provide grid support.

Please join us on this one-hour webinar with Rachel Huang, SMUD’s Director of Energy Strategy, Research & Development.

***** This webinar is a presentation of the Energy Storage Technology Advancement Partnership (ESTAP). ESTAP is a federal-state funding and information sharing project that aims to accelerate the deployment of electrical energy storage technologies in the U.S. ESTAP is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Electricity, managed by Sandia National National Laboratories, and administered by the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA). Learn more at www.cesa.org/projects/energy-storage-technology-advancement-partnership.

Register HERE

The greater Utica area is facing a climate crisis with more frequent and extreme flooding, high and low temperatures, and more. Marginalized and indigenous communities are taking the brunt of these crises. We are facing an imminent threat that is only continuing to grow year by year, yet our elected officials and institutions are not acting upon it. They lack plans of action, and they continually fail to speak about solutions on the scale of the problem. On December 6th, we say no more. We demand that our institutions respond with urgency and conviction to protect current and future generations from climate collapse. Come join us to make our voices loud and clear: we demand climate justice, and we demand it now.

See our full demands here:
https://strikewithus.org/#demands

Join us and millions of people across the United States to demand urgent action on the climate crisis. Speakers, music, and the spirit of climate justice will fill the air. Go to the ticket link to RSVP for free!

RSVP on Facebook

On December 6th, we strike again. Join youth in NYC and all around to strike for climate in preparation for the United Nations COP 25 in Madrid, Spain where world leaders will be meeting to discuss climate solutions.

RSVP on Facebook

Brief description: Celebrate the holidays with a new tradition—the SunCommon Gingerbread Competition! Assemble a team, stock up on peppermints, candy canes and gumdrops, and read up on solar panels. Yes, you read that right. Solar panels. This family-friendly gingerbread house competition requires all houses to include an edible version of those shiny, black, renewable-energy-producing photovoltaic cells. Get creative! Extra points will be awarded for additional sustainable house tech, like Tesla Powerwall. Over $800 in cash prizes will be awarded!

In addition to the stunning gingerbread houses, there will be live music, mulled cider, and fresh baked bread from the Elmendorph Inn’s one-of-a-kind beehive oven. We hope you’ll join us! Mark your calendar for a festive afternoon at the Elmendorph Inn Holiday Open House.

To participate in the Gingerbread competition, please complete complete this online entry form. Space is limited, so be sure to enter early!

More info at https://suncommon.com/hudson-valley/gingerbread/

This webinar will be presented entirely in Spanish.

It will provide an overview of several resilient power projects underway or recently completed in Puerto Rico.

Clean Energy Group presenta el siguiente seminario web en español.

Este seminario web presenta una visión general de los proyectos de energía resistente actualmente en curso o recientemente completados en Puerto Rico.

Después que el huracán María destruyo la infraestructura energética de Puerto Rico en 2017, los sistemas de tecnología Solar+Almacenamiento resistente ganaron popularidad como una opción confiable de energía de respaldo para instalaciones críticas y hogares vulnerables. Los generadores de diesel demostraron ser caros y poco confiables, y el acceso al combustible fué cada vez más problemático. Ahora, dos años después, la energía resistente a crecido como una herramienta esencial para la recuperación y preparación de comunidades.

Este seminario web de Clean Energy Group presentará una visión general de los proyectos de energía resistente en curso o recientemente completados en Puerto Rico.

Los panelistas invitados compartirán acerca de aplicaciones de energía resistente para operaciones de emergencia crítica y residentes vulnerables, a su vez discutirán las mejores prácticas y las barreras para la implementación de estos tipos de proyectos. Aquellos involucrados en el desarrollo de oportunidades laborales, también compartirán sobre sus experiencias en capacitaciones locales de almacenamiento de energía solar y baterías.

Presentadores:

Will Heegard – Fundador y Director, Footprint Project

Mareldi Ahumada Paras – Estudiante de Doctorado en la Universidad de Washington

Edgar Oscar Ruiz – Director Ejecutivo, Sail Relief Team

Moderadora​: Nicole Hernandez Hammer – Directora de Proyectos, Clean Energy Group

Registrar aquí

Solar energy is growing rapidly in New York. Join us at the City Beer Hall speakeasy to network with New York Solar Energy Industries Association, Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy, and participants from the Solar and Energy Storage New York conference!

This event is limited to 60 attendees and RSVP is required. By RSVPing to this event, you agree to have your registration information shared with the host organizations, WRISE and NYSEIA.

Light appetizers and 1 drink ticket per person will be provided thanks to our generous sponsors!

For any questions, please contact Carrie Hughes-Cromwick or Evan O’Neil.

REGISTER HERE

JOIN WE ACT, SOLAR ONE, AND CON EDISON AT UPTOWN CHATS ON DECEMBER 11!

This is the final installment in the 2019 Uptown Chats event series, designed to connect people to power in Northern Manhattan.

A panel of policy advocates, energy experts, and industry professionals will speak and answer questions about community power, energy efficiency, smart metering, and current current solar projects Uptown. Panelists will include representatives from Solar One, Con Edison, and the WE ACT policy team.

What you can expect:

• The opportunity to directly engage with panelists in an intimate, roundtable Q&A style
• Discuss policy and initiatives that impact Northern Manhattan communities
• Network with like-minded residents
• View current exhibitions at Gavin Brown’s enterprise
• Wine and refreshments provided

Please consider making a donation of $15 or more to help make events like this one possible in the future.

More about Uptown Chats

Uptown Chats were born out of the idea that Uptown residents need a place to connect to policymakers and leaders about our unique concerns, and that we are powerful when we come together to make change.

WE ACT will bring Uptown leaders to network and engage thought leaders and public officials on topics such as energy, economic development, transportation, employment, civic engagement, parks and urban planning, social justice and more.

Want to ask a question, suggest a Speaker, or learn how to become a Sponsor? Please reach out to development@weact.org.

RSVP HERE

Access to the Solar & Storage Market Begins Here, Register Today

Tapping into one of the top-10 solar markets, Solar and Energy Storage New York is the event to network with industry leaders and businesses doing business in New York. Join us December 12-13 as we head to Albany, NY and discover best practices and the latest trends and challenges impacting the state in energy development. The 2018 event drew 300+ attendees, over 20 exhibitors, and featured interactive education focused on the changing landscape, obstacles, and policies influencing the industry in New York.

REGISTER HERE

NY URGENTLY needs a plan for transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy and renewable heat – now! To hold the agency responsible for shaping NY’s energy future (the Public Service Commission) accountable, we must be in The Room Where It Happens – in The GREATEST City in the World!

Join the Renewable Heat Now campaign and a growing number of allies as we head to NYC on December 12th for the monthly PSC meeting.

Join us to witness what the Commissioners say in the 4th Floor Boardroom. Will the PSC finally issue the long-awaited energy efficiency order? Will we again hear climate change denial from the commissioners? Will the PSC acknowledge that the uncertainty of not having a plan thwarts our efforts to promote energy efficiency and renewable heat and emboldens fossil fuel infrastructure buildout? Will the PSC act in accordance with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act?

The world is watching what New York will do. The time to act is NOW. Let’s make sure NYS regulators know we are watching them and that we hold them accountable for serving the PUBLIC’s interest and protecting the planet – not protecting the utilities’ bottom line.

RSVP HERE

The Capital District Clean Communities Coalition, Propane Education & Research Council, New York Propane Gas Association & Roush have partnered to bring a day-long workshop for fleets and local governments on clean fuel alternatives. Please join us on Thursday, December 12th from 10am to 3pm in Saratoga Springs, NY. Coffee, lunch & light refreshments will be provided as experts and fleet managers discuss the benefits of propane, vehicle availability, and return on investment.

REGISTER HERE

Join the Sierra Club, partners and elected officials at a press conference and petition delivery to Governor Cuomo’s office in Albany. New York State has committed to near-term targets to aggressively develop renewable electricity and improve energy efficiency. We need that same ambition and leadership to tackle the transportation sector, the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in our state and a contributor to toxic air pollution in our communities.

Contact Allison Considine at allison.considine@sierraclub.org for more details/questions

December 12 at 12pm

NY State Capitol Albany, NY (State Street roadside parking reserved parking spaces)

Sign the petition if you haven’t already: sc.org/55×35

Greenlight Award™

Challenging Students to use Leadership and Innovation to Catalyze Environmental Change

In this high school student competition, Greenlight Award contestants work with community experts to propose advocacy and innovation projects that cause behavior change and benefit our community. 43 Teams from 10 high schools have entered this year to make a difference, show their impact, and to compete to win the Greenlight Award and $1000 cash!

Join us for the Greenlight Award Proposal Showcase
Saturday, Dec. 14, 9:30-11:30am at Horace Greeley High School

Student advocates and innovators will pitch their big green ideas to our experts and you! They will receive feedback and a feasability score that will help them move forward and apply for $500 funding to carry out their projects.

After pitching their proposals, receiving feedback and applying for up to $500 in funding, contestants put their big green ideas into action and showcase their success at the Solutions Expo at the Bedford 2020 Climate Action Summit on April 19, 2020 at Fox Lane High School.

Prizes, opportunities and awards are granted in both categories and all participants are recognized for their leadership, success, and inspiration to make change for the better. The most impactful projects win up to $1,000 in cash prizes and the Greenlight Award.

To get your school involved or become a sponsor, contact us!

More info