Climate Action Council to Vote Today on Key New York Climate Plan

MANHATTAN, NY -- Today, New York’s Climate Action Council (CAC) will vote on the Final Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) Scoping Plan. Following the passage of the CLCPA, Advisory Panels with diverse sector-specific expertise were appointed in 2020 to draft recommendations for the strategies necessary for New York to decarbonize and meet the mandates of the Climate Act. Sierra Club submitted detailed comments to the Advisory Panels, and served on the Power Generation Advisory Panel. 

Once the full Climate Action Council was formed and the Advisory Panel's recommendations were compiled into the Draft Scoping Plan, Sierra Club members and supporters submitted over one thousand comments urging the CAC to maintain strong recommendations in support of rapid electrification of buildings, a moratorium on permitting new fossil fuel fired power plants, a swift transition to electric vehicles, and year by year targets and iterative planning processes to ensure a managed transition off of the use of gas or other fuels to power buildings and electricity, among other justice and electrification issues. Over 100 Sierra Club members and supporters testified at virtual and in-person hearings on the State scoping plan, the largest constituency statewide. 

The CAC will vote on the Final Plan and set the agenda for the regulations and legislation in New York that must be enacted to make this plan a reality. By sending strong market signals to manufacturers and the renewable energy industry, the plan proves that addressing the climate crisis is a win not just for avoiding pollution, but for gaining jobs too. It sets the course for the necessary workforce development and job training to create vibrant new industries with strong standards for workers and communities from the beginning. With up to $130 billion in projected net benefits from moving forward with the Plan, and the greatest net benefits from accelerating the transition away from combusting fuels, the Scoping Plan will help usher in a healthier, stronger New York.

The Sierra Club has reviewed chapters of the Final Scoping Plan ahead of the vote and issued the following statement:

“The Final Scoping Plan is a monumental achievement, presenting detailed strategies and recommendations to transform New York away from a reliance on fossil fuels towards a renewable-powered, electrified system while creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs, advancing environmental justice, and protecting affordability,” said Allison Considine, Senior Campaign Representative.

“While the Plan is unfortunately less ambitious than the draft in some areas clearly due to the ongoing influence of the fossil fuel industry and utilities on the Climate Action Council, the final Plan retains many of the strong recommendations that emerged from the Advisory Panels and the public comment process. It sets up an critically important roadmap for rapidly reducing emissions and achieving significant public health, economic development, and environmental improvements to our state.

“Sierra Club applauds the dedicated work of state agency staff and Climate Action Council members and will continue to work to close the remaining loopholes in the Plan, including deferring the determination of the gas system’s future to a further study (despite rightly calling for a phase-in of non-emitting electric appliances) and delaying the implementation of common-sense recommendations like all-electric new construction for buildings. In partnership with the broader climate and environmental justice movement, Sierra Club knows that New York must reject the agenda of the rapacious fossil fuel industry and that seeks to prolong the State's reliance on burning fuels, and must embrace renewables and electrification.

“2023 will be another critical year to advance climate action in New York. New York’s agencies will draft regulations and implement the recommendations of the Scoping Plan, and Sierra Club will continue to advocate for a rigorous implementation, funding, and development, and for New York to lead the nation with critical actions to get off fossil fuels, which can help avert the worst impacts of our warming world.”