Acadia Center ● Adirondack Council ● Alliance for a Green Economy ● Appalachian Mountain Club ● Campaign for Renewable Energy ● Catskill Mountainkeeper ● Demos ● Dryden Resource Awareness Coalition ● Environmental Advocates NY ● Fossil Free Tompkins ● HabitatMap ● Long Island Progressive Coalition ● National Wildlife Federation ● New Clean Earth ● New York Communities for Change (NYCC) ● New York Working Families ● Nobody Leaves Mid–Hudson ● NYC Environmental Justice Alliance ● Pace University Government and Community Relations ● Partnership for the Public Good ● Peoples Climate Movement NY ● Renewable Energy Long Island ● Rochester People’s Climate Coalition ● Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter ● Syracuse Cultural Workers
March 23, 2018
Hon. Andrew M. Cuomo Governor
Executive Chamber
New York State Capitol Albany, New York 12224
Hon Andrea Stewart-Cousins
Democratic Conference Leader
New York State Senate
LOB 907
Albany, New York 12247
Hon. Carl E. Heastie Speaker
New York State Assembly
LOB 932
Albany, New York 12248
Hon. Jeffrey Klein IDC Leader
New York State Senate
LOB 913
Albany, New York 12247
Hon. John J. Flanagan
Temporary President New York State Senate
Capitol 330
Albany, New York 12247
Hon. Brian Kolb
Minority Leader
New York State Assembly
LOB 933
Albany, New York 12248
Dear Governor Cuomo and Legislative Leaders:
As negotiations proceed on the 2018-2019 New York State Budget, we respectfully request the adoption
of a final spending plan that incorporates the proposal advanced by the Assembly to dedicate $23 million in climate pollution funds raised through New York’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) to fund energy efficiency and solar programs in in low income and environmental justice communities (Section 20-c in Part GG of A9505-B).
We are strongly opposed to the proposal advanced in the Executive Budget and the Senate resolutions that would divert a $23 million of RGGI funds to the state budget pay for tax credits that would otherwise be supported by the General Fund.
Tax credits offer little to no direct benefit to the lower income and environmental justice communities that are disproportionally burdened by the impacts of climate change and fossil fuel derived pollution. RGGI funded programs designed to serve New Yorkers that do not currently have equitable access to programs offered by NYSERDA through the Clean Energy Fund, NY Sun or other sources would provide communities on the front lines of climate change with new, and needed, opportunities to tap into the economic and health benefits energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy systems provide.
The wise stewardship of RGGI funds has ensured the deployment and use of renewable energy and efficiency initiatives. Utilizing RGGI resources to supplant funding for items in the state budget significantly limits the state’s ability to support clean energy programs. For these reasons, we oppose
Governor’s and the Senate Majority Coalition’s efforts to fund tax credits. The Assembly’s commitment to energy efficiency and solar energy systems is consistent with the intended use of RGGI funds and has our strong support.
Sincerely,
Cullen Howe
New York Director
Acadia Center
Kevin Chlad
Director of Government Relations
Adirondack Council
Jessica Azulay
Program Director
Alliance for a Green Economy
Georgia Murray
Staff Scientist
Appalachian Mountain Club
Brian Eden
Vice-Chair
Campaign for Renewable Energy
Katherine Nadeau
Deputy Director
Catskill Mountainkeeper
Heather McGhee
President
Demos
Marie McRae
Spokesperson
Dryden Resource Awareness Coalition
Conor Bambrick
Air and Energy Director
Environmental Advocates of New York
Sara Hess
Chair
Fossil Free Tompkins
Michael Heimbinder
Executive Director
HabitatMap
Lisa Tyson
Director
Long Island Progressive Coalition
Curtis Fisher
Regional Executive Director
National Wildlife Federation
David Gower
Founder
New Clean Earth
Jonathan Westin
Director
New York Communities for Change (NYCC)
Stephan Edel
Director
New York Working Families
Jonathan Bix
Executive Director
Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson
Eddie Bautista
Executive Director
NYC Environmental Justice Alliance
Vanessa J. Herman
Assistant Vice President
Pace University Government and Community Relations
Andrea O Suilleabhain
Deputy Director
Partnership for the Public Good
Leslie Cagan
Coordinator
Peoples Climate Movement NY
Gordian Raacke
Executive Director
Renewable Energy Long Island
Susan Hughes-Smith
Co-leader
Rochester People’s Climate Coalition
Roger Downs
Conservation Director
Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter
Andy Mager
Sales Manager
Syracuse Cultural Workers
Aaron Eisenberg
NYC-DSA Climate Justice Working Group Organizing Committee