Looking for a crash course on renewable energy?
Check out our Online Teach-in Archive!
The goal of each online teach-in is to provide an overview of the importance of renewable energy in meeting our climate and clean energy goals, creating green jobs and healthier communities, as well as providing opportunities to take action. Field experts from across the state present and discuss a variety of today’s clean energy topics and answer questions from our audience.
If you have an idea for a teach-in, please email us at nyforcleanpower.org/contact-us/!
Improving NY’s Benefit Cost Analysis
Our state’s regulatory processes are not taking all the factors into account when deciding the cost benefit ratios of fossil fuel & renewable infrastructure! Learn what needs to be considered by industry experts. You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and take action for a better BCA! Visit our take-action page to improve NY’s BCA: tinyurl.com/bcacomment
Speakers:
- Sonal Jessel, the Director of Policy at WE ACT for Environmental Justice
- Andy Frank, the Founder & President of Sealed and Strategic Advisory Group member to inform the Building Electrification Process for the Department of Public Service
- John Ciovacco, the President of Aztech Geothermal and Strategic Advisory Group member to inform the Building Electrification Process for the DPS
- Jessica Azulay, the Executive Director of Alliance for a Green Economy (AGREE) and active party member in numerous rate cases across NYS.
NY Towns & Cities Transition Off Fossil Fuels (Buildings) & How to Pay For It
Learn about gas bans, Ithaca’s cutting edge energy codes and how towns & cities can decarbonize their existing buildings!
Speakers:
Amy Turner – Senior Fellow at the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School
Nick Goldsmith – Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Ithaca and the Town of Ithaca
Mark Thielking – Director of Energy and Sustainability for the Town of Bedford.
New Rules for Renewables – Show Support
Learn from supporters and industry experts on the new regulations released by the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) and how you can participate as a supporter in the upcoming online & in-person stakeholder sessions.
Speakers:
Anne Reynolds, Executive Director of Alliance for Clean Energy New York
Giuseppina Agovino, Founding Member of Friends of Flint Mine Solar
Ryan Piche, Lewis County Town Manager
Jessica Enzmann, Organizing Representative at Sierra Club
ACE Town Hall Renewable Energy + Storage: A Match Made in NY?
This is a technical dialogue/town hall discussing how pairing solar and wind energy projects with energy storage can help New York meet its ambitious 70 percent by 2030 clean energy requirement about projects that pair wholesale renewable energy with energy storage. There is growing interest in large-scale projects that pair batteries with solar power or pair batteries with wind turbines developing new “hybrid” (solar and storage or wind and storage) projects in the state, as the costs of battery storage continue to rapidly decline. But as often the case with any new technology, the rules often need time to catch up with the innovation. We will discuss what the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has already done to facilitate renewables + storage projects; what wind and solar developers would like to further change regarding NYISO rules; and the thorny questions that remain about how to best balance the need for energy storage with efficient operation of the grid.
Speakers include:
Dr. William Acker, Executive Director of NY-BEST
Dave Gahl , Senior Director of State Affairs, Northeast, SEIA
John Broadbeck, Senior Manager of Transmission, EDPR
Mike DeSocio, Senior Manager of Market Design at the NYISO
Pete Fuller, Principal of Autumn Lane Energy Consulting
Moderator: Anne Reynolds, Executive Director, ACE NY
Getting on Track with Transportation
Getting on Track with Transportation will focus on what New York State needs to fully electrify its transportation system, including lessons learned from California. It is intended for those interested in the transition to electric cars, buses, and trucks; how to reinvest in transit and improve access for all; and how to best build out vehicle charging infrastructure. We will touch on the recently signed multi-state MOU and other initiatives to create jobs, climate justice, and cleaner air by electrifying transportation and enhancing mobility.
Welcome:
Anne Reynolds, Executive Director at Alliance For Clean Energy New York
Moderator:
Kaitlin Monaghan, Public Policy Manager at Rivian
Keynote presentation:
Patricia Monahan, Lead Commissioner on Transportation at California Energy Commission
Panelists:
Nick Sifuentes, Executive Director, Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Zeryai Hagos, Deputy Director, Office of Markets and Innovation, NYS Deptartment of Public Service
Kerene Tayloe Director of Federal Legislative Affairs: WE ACT for Environmental Justice
You can view the speaker slides here.
Learn Why NYS Farmers & Bees Like Solar
Solar developers and farmers join forces to implement ways to supply clean power to the NY electric grid.
Speakers will discuss the benefits solar brings to NY farmers and wildlife, particularly our pollinators!
Speakers:
– Jeremy Verratti: Verratti Farms, Hartland NY and USES Steering Committee
– Rob Davis, Director, Center for Pollinators in Energy
Next Generation Thermal Infrastructure
Learn how we can meet our energy needs across NYS with clean heating and cooling technology! Speakers will discuss shared geothermal loop systems, thermal infrastructure ownership options and how we can finance getting to scale.
Sign up for Renewable Heat Now’s email list for notifications on how to take action for clean energy infrastructure! https://renewableheatnow.org/join/
Speakers include:
Cullen Kasunic from BlocPower
Zeyneb Magavi & Audrey Schulman from HEET (Home Energy Efficiency Team)
Stuart Yanow from Orca energy
Owen Brady from National Grid
How Solar Can Benefit NY Communities
Speakers will discuss the types of benefits available to New York communities that solar projects provide and how to submit a comment to the Public Service Commission on their proceeding about the Renewable Energy Facility Host Community Benefit Program!
Panelists include:
Kevin Campbell, Development Manager – EDF-Renewables
Kate Millar, Manager, Renewable Development -Invenergy
Rikki Cason, Manager – Cypress Creek
David Alicea, NY Organizing Representative -Sierra Club
Dan Spitzer, Attorney – Hodgson Ross
Haylee Ferrington, USES Steering Committee – Moderator
Clean Energy Requires a New Grid: Building Renewables in New York
Reaching New York’s ambitious renewable energy mandates — and creating new green jobs through wind and solar power — will require significant upgrades to the transmission grid, so investing in the transmission grid is a climate action issue. Join us for an online discussion to hear from New York State officials, National Grid, renewable energy leaders, and local officials on the what, where, and why of the connections between green energy and new transmission investments, as well as the implications for land use in NYS.
This event is co-hosted by ACE NY, American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).
Program:
Welcoming Remarks: Senator Kevin Parker, Chair of NYS Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee.
Keynote: Ali Zaidi, Deputy Secretary for Energy and Environment, Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo
Panelists:
- Bart Franey, Director of Transmission Planning, Asset Management, Systems, and Data, National Grid
- Rodica Donaldson, Senior Director, Commercial Transmission and Analytics, EDF Renewables North America
- Ryan Piche, Lewis County Manager, New York
Green Jobs: Making a Living While Making a Difference
Positive Green Jobs examples in our surrounding communities. You’ll learn ways that you can achieve training and job success in this quickly growing field. This free virtual educational event is sponsored by Citizens for Local Power, New Yorkers for Clean Power, and Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.
Speakers:
Robert Wright, President/YouthBuild Executive Director at Nubian Directions
William Artist, Construction Manager at Nubian Directions
Christopher Boston, former Construction Manager at Nubian Directions
Cecil Corbin-Mark, Deputy Director and Director of Policy Initiatives at WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Bryanna DiFonzo, Director of New Economy at PUSH Buffalo
Rodney Rainey, Workforce Development Coordinator at PUSH Buffalo
Bill and Melinda McKnight, co-founders at Energy Conservation Specialists
Jobs in Solar & Community Benefits
Join United Solar Energy Supporters to hear from speakers on the available apprenticeships & job trainings in the solar industry and the community benefits that utility-scale solar bring.
Speakers:
Giuseppina Agovino – Friends of Flint Mine Solar
Harrison Watkins – NYS Laborers Organizing Fund
Mike Bader – IBEW Local 86
Haylee Ferington – Clean Energy Communities Genesee
Renewable Heat Now Teach-in on the NYS Gas Proceeding
Join Renewable Heat Now for a one hour online teach-in on the NYS Gas Proceeding.
The Public Service Commission, the agency that regulates the utilities, has started a new case on gas planning (20-G-0131) to ensure utilities are transparent, equitable and consider New York State’s new climate law, Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, in their investments and service! The PSC is taking comments on this proceeding.
Here is what the proceeding is about, in the words of the Public Service Commission Order:
Gas utilities need to … adopt improved planning and operational practices that enable them to meet current customer needs and expectations in a transparent and equitable way while minimizing infrastructure investments and maintaining safe and reliable service. Additionally, planning must be conducted in a manner consistent with the recently enacted Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). (emphasis added) Case #20-G-0131 Order initiating proceeding, p. 1-2. Your voice is needed to help hold the utilities accountable!
Speakers:
Jessica Azulay – Alliance for a Green Economy
Radina Valova – Pace Energy and Climate Center
Kim Fraczek – Sane Energy Project
Lee Ziesche – Sane Energy Project
The Role of Energy Storage
Learn the latest on energy storage technology and how we can use it to build our renewable energy future!
Speakers:
Tom Kacandes – Business Development Manager – NY & NE at VEIC
Erin Hazen – Senior Director of Development at Glidepath Power
Jeff Irish – Vice President of SunCommon
Candace Rossi – Project Manager for NY-Sun at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
The Green Stimulus & Indigenous Leadership with Rep Deb Haaland, Mark Ruffalo & Tokata Iron Eyes
Hear from Mark Ruffalo, Congresswoman Deb Haaland and indigenous activist Tokata Iron Eyes on the importance of a Green Jobs Stimulus and supporting native communities in response to COVID-19.
Federal spending should go towards the most vulnerable and frontline workers as well as prioritizing green jobs and making communities healthier by investing in renewable energy, energy efficient homes, and clean transportation.
And that’s what we call for in our Green Jobs Stimulus Petition.
Send a message to congress that we need to invest in a green economy!
Sign here: nyforcleanpower.org/greenjobsstimuluspetition/
Large-Scale Renewable Energy Permitting: What’s in it for communities?
Join New Yorkers for Clean Power and United Solar Energy Supporters to learn about the new siting law for large-scale renewable energy projects in New York: Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth & Community Benefit Act
Speakers:
Mike Bader – Business Manager at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers for local 86
Harrison Watkins – Research Director at the NYS Laborers Organizing Fund
Daniel Spitzer is an attorney and co-leader of Clean Energy Practice at Hodgson Russ LLP. Dan will summarize the Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth & Community Benefit Act that recently passed in NYS which dictates how large-scale renewable energy projects are sited, and he’ll describe how this new law is different from the Article 10 siting and permitting process.
Jennifer Manierre is a Senior Project Manager for Clean Energy Siting at NYSERDA and will be going over how local governments can engage in the new permitting process.
Refrigerants 101
Learn the facts about refrigerants, how to safely manage, and the role they play in electrifying our buildings via heat pumps to get off fossil fuels!
Speakers include:
Michaela Helme, New Yorkers for Cool Refrigerant Management
John Ciovacco, Aztech Geothermal
Kai Vormer, Aztech Geothermal
Christina Theodoridi, Climate & Clean Energy Program at NRDC
Youth Climate Movement
Young climate activists and advocates from across New York State talk about the work they do to #ActOnClimate and how you can take action!
Speakers:
Ilyas Khan – Western New York Youth Climate Council – Buffalo
Melissa Hoffman – Sunrise Movement – Vassar College
Berenice Tompkins – Sunrise Movement – NYC
Shenequa Perry – Student Climate Coalition – SUNY ESF
Hridesh Singh – New York Youth Climate Leaders – Rochester
Kellianne Ticcony – New York Youth Climate Leaders – Long Island
Clean Transportation in NY
Hear from knowledgeable speakers about practical transportation emission reduction targets and what strategies we’ll need to reach those targets. Learn how you as an individual or business owner can take action to be a part of the solution for a cleaner New York!
Speakers:
Allison Considine, NY Campaign Representative for the Sierra Club
Bruce Ho, Senior Advocate in Climate & Clean Energy Program at the NRDC
Victoria McGarril, Consultant for Sustainable Transportation Solutions at Energetics
Large-Scale Renewables (Updates!)
We need large-scale renewable projects to be built and to stay in New York if we want to meet our goal of 70% renewable electricity by 2030. Hear more from Anne Reynolds, Executive Director of Alliance for Clean Energy New York. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn how you can take action for renewable electricity! Petition coming soon!
Speakers:
Anne Reynolds, Alliance for Clean Energy New York
Transportation & Climate
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gases in New York State! Tune in to learn about the Transportation & Climate Initiative (TCI): one of the many solutions needed to electrify New York’s transportation system and reduce our main source of emissions. Hear from knowledgeable speakers working on TCI at a national level, and reach out to nyforcleanpower@gmail.com if you want to help electrify transportation and make your community more sustainable. Moderated by Betta Broad, New Yorkers for Clean Power (NYCP)
Speakers:
Allison Considine, Sierra Club
Uchenna BrightNatural Resource Defense Council (NRDC)
Stephan Edel, New York Working Families
HeatSmart Ulster Sullivan Campaign 101
Heat pumps 101 with Hugo Jule, a clean energy & EV expert consulting with the HeatSmart Ulster-Sullivan campaign.
Heat Pumps & Energy Efficiency
Learn what you can do to promote comprehensive utility energy efficiency & heat pump (not pipelines) programs! In partnership with Renewable Heat Now, New Yorkers for Clean Power is collecting comments on the joint utility filing for the utility energy efficiency programs. The public comment deadline is July 1st, 2019. Submit a comment (you can use our sample): https://actionnetwork.org/letters/ren… The utility efficiency programs need to be well funded, accessible, provide incentives for renewable heating and cooling and not gas!
Speakers include:
Bob Howarth, Professor of Ecology and Environmental Biology at Cornell University
Valerie Strauss, Director of Policy & Regulatory Affairs at Association for Energy Affordability
Jessica Azulay, Executive Director of Alliance for a Green Economy
Jens Ponikau, Owner of Buffalo Geothermal Heating & Vice President of New York Geothermal Energy Organization
Renewable Heat
Time to Get Pumped! Renewable heat pumps are good for the planet & can save you money. Learn about renewable heat pumps in our homes and communities. Today’s heat pumps are more efficient and fossil-fuel free. Heat pumps extract heat from the air or ground to heat the air or water in your building. They can also work in reverse as air conditioners!
Speakers:
John Ciovacco, President of Aztech Geothermal
Zeyneb Magavi, District Heating Advocate with Mothers Out Front
Donovan Gordon, Director of Renewable Heating & Cooling at NYSERDA
Betta Broad, Director of NYCP and Co-founder of Renewable Heat Now!
Community Renewables
Support Renewable Energy & Save Money on Your Electricity Bill Each Month! Tune in for information on New York’s community solar and hydroelectric projects, updates on the Value of Distributed Energy Resources (VDER), and the policies needed to move forward to improve solar energy in New York. Our speakers will be available to answer questions and provide information on what you can do to get involved in the renewable revolution!
Speakers:
Juan Parra, Solar One Community Solar Program Manager
Sarah Bower, Natural Power Group Co-Owner
Cal Trumann, SunCommon Solar Community Organizer
Emmett Smith, Northern Power Light Founder
Jessica Azulay, Alliance for a Green Economy Executive Director
Large Scale Renewables
What Will it Take to Achieve New York’s Renewable Energy Goals? Join us for an online teach-in with Anne Reynolds, the Executive Director of Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY) to find out how large-scale renewable energy is vital to ending our reliance on fossil fuels. Reynolds will speak to the challenges that wind and solar project developers face in our state and the next steps for New York’s renewable future.
Energy Efficiency Updates in NYS
Energy efficiency is the cheapest, easiest and fastest way to address climate change while also creating good local jobs, reducing other harmful pollution, and increasing the resiliency of our electric grid.
Speakers include:
Valerie Strauss Director, Policy & Regulatory Affairs, Association for Energy Affordability
Conrad Metcalfe Executive Director, Building Performance Contractors Association
Stephan Roundtree, Jr., Esq. Environmental Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Sneha Ayyagari Schneider Fellow, Eastern Region, Climate & Energy Program, NRDC
Betta Broad Outreach Director, New Yorkers for Clean Power
Energy Efficiency
As we ramp up efforts to push Governor Cuomo, NYSERDA and the Public Service Commission to adopt a comprehensive energy efficiency program that is as ambitious and equitable as possible, we invite clean energy advocates and climate activists from across the state to participate in this online teach-in. Speakers include:
Miles Farmer, Staff Attorney, Climate and Clean Energy Program, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Clarke Gocker, Director of Policy and Strategy, People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH Buffalo)
Jessica Azulay, Program Director, Alliance for a Green Economy (AGREE)
Cecil Corbin-Mark, Deputy Director and Director of Policy Initiatives, WE ACT for Environmental Justice (WE ACT)
Hal Smith, CEO, Halco Energy