Looking for a crash course on renewable energy?

Check out our Online Teach-in Archive!

The goal of each 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. Field experts from across the state present and discuss a variety today’s renewable energy technologies.

If you have an idea for a teach-in, please email us at nyforcleanpower.org/contact-us/!

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

Speaker Slides Here

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.

Speaker Slides here

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. You can view the speaker slides here.

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

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!

– 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

Speaker Slides – Next Generation Thermal Infrastructure

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!

Click the link to submit a comment: https://usesny.org/psccommentcommunitybenefit/

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

Take action today! Submit a comment to the Public Service Commission telling them to stop the gas infrastructure buildout and help with the conversion to renewable heat now: https://renewableheatnow.org/planning…

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