For Immediate Release: April 11, 2022

The following statement can be attributed to Kate Kurera, Deputy Director of Environmental Advocates NY:

“There is a lot to celebrate in this year’s budget. New York is making major investments in our climate, and we applaud Governor Hochul along with the State Legislature for making a $500 million investment in water infrastructure spending; a bigger, better Bond Act; a historic $400 million Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), and $500 million dedicated to offshore wind. We were especially pleased to see the inclusion of strong wetland protections, a mandate to move all school buses to electric, and the elimination of a Cuomo-era practice of transferring $23 million in clean energy funding (RGGI).

We still have more to do this session and look forward to tackling the solid waste crisis with an extended producer responsibility program for paper and packaging materials and passing new climate standards for appliances and buildings.

Finally, while the climate investments in this budget will speed the development of the offshore wind industry, we are disappointed that it failed to achieve the level of investment needed to match the urgency of the climate crisis and to jump-start the state’s transition off fossil fuels.”

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