Approximately 300 students from 17 local high schools and at least one middle school gathered April 4 for the first Long Island Youth Climate Summit at Stony Brook University. Organized by Students for Climate Action and Renewable Energy Long Island, the event centered on environmental education and advocacy, with students encouraged to get involved with grassroots.
He once talked about the need to fight climate change. Now, he embraces Elon Musk, lavishes praise on the president and strives to stand out in a MAGA world.
When President Trump’s cabinet secretaries clashed with Elon Musk this month over the billionaire’s chain saw approach to shrinking government, Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, made it clear where he stood.
WASHINGTON — EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has begun to do what President Donald Trump wanted to do in his first term but couldn’t: Shrink the Environmental Protection Agency and cut its regulations on energy and business.
In his first month on the job, Zeldin, a former Long Island congressman, has spoken less about protecting the environment in interviews and on social media than he has about his mission to "unleash energy dominance."
Representatives of two dozen organizations gathered Thursday for an annual environmental roundtable meeting hosted by State Senator Anthony Palumbo to discuss regional environmental issues, concerns and needs. The event went off as it does every year: a cordial, free-wheeling, pass-the-mic conversation.
If the ongoing federal staffing cuts and budget-slashing being undertaken by the Trump administration worried the environmental advocates and government officials in the room, their concerns were mostly left unspoken —even though most of the programs addressing local environmental issues substantially rely on federal funding.
Lee Zeldin is one Trump nominee who cannot be easily put into a box.
When Adrienne Esposito, executive director of a New York environmental group, appealed to the then-congressman to keep funding for Long Island Sound restoration in the federal budget, he and two other representatives from the state secured the reauthorization of $65 million per year in 2018.
SOURCE:
https://www.thecity.nyc/2024/11/15/trump-zeldin-hochul-climate-environment/
BY SAMANTHA MALDONADO - November 15, 2024
With President Donald Trump set to return to the White House, New York is all but on its own to play catch-up with its ambitious, legally mandated climate goals.
The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, passed in 2019 during Trump’s first presidential term, requires the state to have zero-emissions electricity by 2040 and slash greenhouse gas emissions 85% by 2050.
While the state has made some progress — aided in large part by the Biden administration, whose friendly stance toward climate action gave way to smoother offshore wind permitting and tax incentives for cleaner vehicles — it’s got a long way to go. Even with that wind at its back, however, New York had already fallen about three years behind its own benchmarks.
“The role of the state is far more important, in that we can no longer rely on the federal government,” said Michael Gerrard, director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University. “There’s plenty we can do if we have the political will.”
Gerrard said Gov. Kathy Hochul should double down on advancing the climate law’s aims by following the sweeping policy blueprint that plots out a transition away from fossil fuels for all parts of New York’s economy, from home heating and energy sources, to what kinds of cars are on the road. But the state lacks a clear funding source or spending plan to carry that out.
“New York has taken significant steps to implement the Climate Act and we will continue our ongoing efforts to build a clean energy economy,” Paul DiMichele, a spokesperson for Hochul, said in a statement.
One person who could help or hinder Hochul’s efforts is Lee Zeldin, Trump’s appointee to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Zeldin, a former state senator and Congressman representing eastern Long Island, challenged Hochul for governor in 2022 and came within six points of winning. This summer, he called New York’s climate law “unrealistic and unobtainable,” saying its goals amounted to “pathetic political posturing.”
Zeldin said Tuesday that the EPA has the “opportunity to roll back regulations that are forcing businesses to struggle.” That echoes some groups in New York that have raised concerns over the impacts and feasibility of the state’s climate goals. The Business Council of New York gave Zeldin a “top pro-business score” in 2014 when he was a state senator, while just three years earlier, Environmental Advocates New York awarded him an “Oil Slick” award.
Still, Hochul is holding out hope that her former political rival will remember where he’s from: an area vulnerable to flooding and growing more so as sea levels rise, reliant on groundwater as its drinking source, and home to many whose livelihoods depend on a healthy environment.
“Hopefully, these are all factors that the new head of EPA will know, what was happening in his backyard, and try to help solve problems, not create more,” Hochul said this week.
Zeldin does not have a reputation as an environmental champion, though advocates who worked with him locally said he stepped up in crucial times.
Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Long Island-based Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said she asked Zeldin to publicly oppose Trump’s idea to drill for oil off the East Coast. He did, she said, in part because he recognized the harmful impact that would have had on Long Island fishermen.
“When pressed by his constituents on issues that they really cared about, he would be responsive. What I’m worried about now is that his responsiveness will turn away from the public and more towards Trump’s agenda,” Esposito said.
Regarding Trump, Esposito added, “He traded the industry’s bottom lines for public health. When he had to choose between the two, he chose industry. What we need Zeldin to do is fight for the public need above corporate greed.”
Rejecting Climate Science
What Zeldin ultimately decides to do if confirmed as head of the EPA may be a question of how closely he hews to Trump’s vision.
Trump has long rejected climate science. During his first term, his administration gutted research funding, and the EPA rolled back over 100 policies and rules aimed at lowering planet-warming emissions and protecting the environment.
Perhaps the biggest impact the EPA could have on New York’s climate aims is rolling back Biden-era rules that limit harmful tailpipe emissions. These rules aimed to slash pollution and push the U.S. vehicle market toward electric and hybrid vehicles.
This rule boosted New York’s efforts to tackle its largest source of planet-warming emissions: the transportation sector. Hochul issued a directive requiring all cars sold in the state to be zero-emissions — that is, powered by hydrogen or electricity — by 2035.
“Whether we’re able to meet the 2035 target, and what happens along the way is mostly out of our hands, it’s mostly a federal matter,” Gerrard said. “That’s the single thing that I think is the greatest problem that the election has for New York’s achievement of these climate goals.”
One person uniquely poised to nudge the Trump administration toward greater support for electric vehicles is Elon Musk, Trump’s confidant, appointee to co-lead a new proposed Department of Government Efficiency, and founder of electric car manufacturer Tesla.
Some New York environmental advocates are pushing for the state to adopt a clean fuel standard, which would require a reduction in the carbon intensity of vehicles, thereby incentivizing a switch from gasoline to a lower-emissions fuels such as biodiesel. The state Senate passed legislation to do so, but the Assembly never held a vote on the measure. Hochul could prioritize state approval of such a standard.
‘Dominance,’ Renewables Included
Zeldin also promised to “pursue energy dominance” for the U.S., without specifying what kind of energy he wants to be dominant.
“Does that mean only fossil fuels? Trump has been outspoken in opposing offshore wind — do wind and solar and geothermal factor into that equation?” said Judith Enck, a former regional administrator of the EPA. “It’s in the EPA wheelhouse. The EPA sometimes issues permits for coal-fired power plants, fracking, pipelines.”
One clue: When Zeldin ran for governor, he vowed to overturn New York’s ban on fracking and said New York was not “tapping into” a supply of energy, suggesting the state could extract natural gas, which he said would also create jobs.
But clean energy has been a job creator nationwide, and years earlier, Zeldin had recognized its benefits.
“The key is to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, to become more environmentally friendly and pursue clean and green energy,” Zeldin said during a 2016 congressional campaign debate against his Democratic challenger.
Environmental advocates say that fulfilling Zeldin’s “energy dominance” pledge will have to include renewables in the mix at some level.
“I don’t see how the country is energy dominant or energy secure and less reliant on the roller coaster ride of the oil markets if we’re not getting more of our energy, including for our vehicles, from electricity and renewable sources,” said Julie Tighe, president of the New York League of Conservation Voters.
Zeldin, however, voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, which have been credited with spurring investment in clean energy and manufacturing — including in New York.
Trump has vowed to rescind unspent dollars from the Inflation Reduction Act — a big risk for the state. Already, his transition team is seeking to repeal the IRA’s electric vehicle tax credit.
“New York needs to be cognizant of that when it comes to prioritizing the resources it does have to maximize greenhouse gas reduction,” said Patrick Orecki, director of state studies at the Citizens Budget Commission, in an email.
He emphasized that while federal dollars and incentives help advance the climate law, the state is ultimately on the hook to find its own funding.
New York is slated to establish a program, known as “cap-and-invest,” that would charge polluters for emissions they spew in an effort to incentivize them to emit less and to raise money to pay for climate-related investments. But the state has yet to write regulations for the program — one of several key deadlines in the Climate Act its missed.
“If the state keeps missing climate law milestones, nobody else is coming to our rescue,” said Eddie Bautista, executive director of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance. “We’re all disappointed and waiting to see if she will start taking climate change mitigation and adaptation with the urgency we need.”
The choice of Mr. Zeldin, a former Republican congressman of New York, to be the next E.P.A. administrator caught even some of his closest allies by surprise.
When he ran for governor of New York two years ago, fellow Republicans privately exhorted former Representative Lee Zeldin to distance himself from Donald J. Trump and his debunked conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
When it comes to climate change, “if ever there was a Ground Zero for Long Island, it’s really the First Congressional District,” says Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, of the district that encompasses the entire East End. “It’s very critical to hold our congressional leaders accountable for climate change. People still actually don’t believe in climate change, as if it’s a faith based system. You can’t believe or not believe in gravity. You have to understand it is real.”
An energy company seeking an exemption from Southampton Town’s moratorium on battery energy storage facility applications faced scrutiny by Town Board members and strong opposition from the Riverhead Central School District Board of Education during a hearing on its exemption application last night at Southampton Town Hall.
The North Hempstead town board will reconsider a one-year moratorium on large battery storage systems in October, nearly two months after a similar vote failed.
In August, the board voted 3-1 on the resolution, with two abstentions. To pass a law in North Hempstead, a majority of four votes is required. North Hempstead became the first Long Island town to reject a proposal for a battery storage site.
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a new large-scale renewable energy solicitation to deliver clean electricity to New Yorkers. Building on New York’s 10-Point Action Plan, this solicitation seeks proposals for the development of new large-scale land-based renewable energy projects which are expected to spur billions of dollars in clean energy investments and create thousands of family-sustaining jobs in the State’s green economy. Today’s announcement supports progress toward achieving the State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to obtain 70 percent of New York’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the finalization of new contracts for Empire Wind 1, a planned 810-megawatt project (developed by Equinor), and Sunrise Wind, a planned 924-megawatt project (developed by Ørsted and Eversource) as the result of New York’s fourth offshore wind solicitation. The two offshore wind projects, totaling over 1,700 megawatts, will produce enough clean energy to power over one million New York homes and will be the largest power generation projects in New York State in over 35 years once they enter operation in 2026. Today’s announcement is part of New York’s 10-Point Action Plan to support the growing large-scale renewable energy industry, and represents progress toward the achievement of the State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) goal to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035.
Next Phase of the State’s Supply Chain Activities Released in the Form of $200 Million Supportive Manufacturing and Logistics RFP
Request for Information Also Announced to Inform Fifth Offshore Wind Solicitation and $300 Million Major Component Supply Chain RFP
Steps Support Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act Goal to Develop 9,000 Megawatts of Offshore Wind by 2035
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced definitive steps in support of the growing clean energy industry in New York and the State’s 10-Point Action Plan. As part of the next phase of the State’s $500 million commitment to offshore wind supply chain activities, a $200 million Supportive Manufacturing and Logistics Request for Proposals is now open to support investments in infrastructure and manufacturing to grow the domestic offshore wind supply chain in New York. In addition, a Request for Information (RFI) will be issued to inform the development of New York’s fifth offshore wind project solicitation (NY5) and design of a coordinated $300 million RFP focusing on major component offshore wind supply chain investments. Today’s announcements support continued progress toward achieving New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035.
Governor Kathy Hochul today, alongside the United States Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and other elected officials, announced the completion of the landmark South Fork Wind project, with all 12 offshore wind turbines constructed and the wind farm successfully delivering power to Long Island and the Rockaways. Today marks a historic milestone as New York becomes home to America’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm.
SOURCE:
November 30, 2023
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today announced the launch of expedited renewable energy solicitations as part of New York’s 10-Point Action Plan to bolster the State’s growing large-scale renewable industry. Final proposals for both offshore wind and land-based renewable projects are due in January 2024. These expedited solicitations support progress toward achieving New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) goals to obtain 70% of New York’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035.
Doreen M. Harris, President and CEO, NYSERDA said, “These expedited solicitations will continue to build upon our momentum toward achieving a zero-emissions electric grid. We welcome into this competitive process all developers who are committed and eager to participate in New York's energy transition, and we look forward to working together to deliver significant economic, public health, and grid reliability benefits to New York State.”
The solicitations, initially announced by Governor Hochul earlier this month, encourage all project developers, including those that previously petitioned the New York State Public Service Commission for financial relief and new market entrants to compete in the solicitation process, ensuring the integrity of the State’s competitive procurement process and best value for New Yorkers. As part of these solicitations, NYSERDA included key provisions from the latest rounds of renewable energy procurements such as inflation indexing, labor provisions, stakeholder engagement requirements, disadvantaged community commitments, agricultural land preservation, and related priorities to maintain the policy objectives introduced in prior solicitations to ensure an equitable energy transition that benefits all New Yorkers.
NYSERDA is streamlining these expedited solicitations by selectively removing certain bid requirements that historically required substantial efforts to develop, but provided nominal value in bid evaluations. The full breadth of these modifications is outlined within the solicitation documents.
Offshore Wind Solicitation
Final proposals for the offshore wind solicitation will need to be submitted by January 25, 2024, with award announcements expected to be made in February 2024.
Details on the offshore wind solicitation are available on the Offshore Wind Solicitation page on NYSERDA’s website.
Land-Based Renewables Solicitation
The process for submitting proposals into the land-based renewables solicitation will be conducted in two steps, with eligibility requirements due on December 21, 2023 to confirm that interested projects are eligible to bid, and final proposals due on January 31, 2024. Award announcements are expected by the end of April 2024.
More details on the land-based renewable energy solicitation are available on the Tier 1 Solicitation page on NYSERDA’s website.
These expedited solicitations will build on the momentum established by the Governor’s announcement last month of the largest state investment in renewable energy in United States history. The conditional awards included three offshore wind and 22 land-based renewable energy projects totaling 6.4 gigawatts of clean energy, enough to power 2.6 million New York homes and deliver approximately 12% of New York’s electricity needs once completed. When coupled with two marquee offshore wind blade and nacelle manufacturing facilities, New York’s latest round of awarded projects is expected to create approximately 8,300 family-sustaining jobs and spur $20 billion in economic development investments statewide, including developer-committed investments to support disadvantaged communities.
New York State Department of Labor Commissioner and Climate Action Council Member Roberta Reardon said: “The expedited process announced by NYSERDA not only accelerates a greener New York but also builds on our continued effort to expand workforce development. By streamlining the process and encouraging a broader range of competitors, we are not only upholding the values of equity and inclusivity in our energy sector but also ensuring that we are on track to meet our Climate Act goals.”
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said, "The solicitations announced by NYSERDA today will advance New York's sustained efforts to transition to cleaner energy sources and help meet the state’s aggressive goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, provisions included in these expedited solicitations will help advance climate justice by prioritizing present-day challenges like inflation and reconfirming the State’s commitments to disadvantaged communities and environmental protection."
New York State Department of Ag and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball said, “The agricultural community has long been at the table in the discussion of protecting and preserving the natural resources that sustain us. Transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy is a critical and urgent piece of this puzzle, and the solicitations announced today mark a huge step forward in strengthening New York's clean energy development and meeting the climate goals that will help preserve our land for generations to come.”
Alliance for Clean Energy New York Executive Director Anne Reynolds said, “The renewable energy industry is encouraged by New York’s speedy issuance of solicitations for renewable energy projects, both offshore wind power and land-based wind and solar power, knowing that companies are looking forward to competing for these contracts. Moving ahead with projects will bring construction jobs, local tax revenue, and clean electricity. I applaud New York’s fast action, because this sense of urgency is exactly what is needed to bring infrastructure projects to construction and achieve clean energy and climate goals.”
New York Offshore Wind Alliance Director Fred Zalcman said, "NYSERDA's issuance today of a major solicitation, providing market-based offtake opportunities for both early and advanced stage offshore wind projects, offers crucial and timely support for New York's rapidly developing clean energy economy. Actions speak louder than words, and we applaud the Hochul Administration for providing, through this expedited RFP, a clear and unambiguous statement of support for offshore wind as an essential part of New York's evolution towards a carbon-free grid."
New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe said, “In order for New York to green the grid and meet our CLCPA goals, we can’t just talk about clean energy, we need to get projects in the queue as soon as possible. NYLCV applauds Governor Hochul for expediting the next round of solicitations for offshore wind and land-based large scale renewable energy projects and helping ensure New York remains a national leader in the fight against climate change.”
New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento said, “We applaud Governor Hochul and NYSERDA on the publication of expedited offshore wind and land-based renewable energy RFPs. The projects built pursuant to these RFPs will be subject to precedent-setting statutory labor standards and protections. We thank Governor Hochul for her commitment to ensuring that New York’s clean energy future is built, operated, maintained, repaired, and manufactured by workers who earn good wages, and enjoy the benefits and protections guaranteed by union contracts.”
New York State Building Trades President Gary LaBarbera said, “If New York is going to meet the standard-setting climate goals set out by the CLCPA, we must get moving on key green infrastructure projects that will not only set us apart in renewable energy creation, but also generate thousands of good-paying, family sustaining union careers for hard working New Yorkers. This is why we applaud the expedition of solicitations for offshore wind and land-based renewable projects as we head into 2024. The submission and selection of proposals is an important first step in getting these crucial initiatives off the ground and unlocking a clean energy future that will improve the lives of all New Yorkers today and for future generations as we build a healthy environment to live and thrive in. Our tradesmen and tradeswomen look forward to driving forward these projects as they pursue the paths to the middle class forged by the unions worker who came before them.”
Citizens Campaign for the Environment Executive Director Adrienne Esposito said, “Transitioning to renewable energy and moving away from fossil fuels is a challenge, but New York is up for that challenge! Today’s announcement marks another important leap forward with an aggressive and strategic plan to bolster renewable energy development, and wean us off of dirty fossil fuel power plants. The public supports cleaner air and fighting climate change, and this transition will help achieve both important objectives. We commend Governor Hochul and NYSERDA for continuing to take the bold actions necessary to move New York towards a renewable energy future.”
New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan
New York State's nation-leading climate agenda calls for an orderly and just transition that creates family-sustaining jobs, continues to foster a green economy across all sectors and ensures that at least 35%, with a goal of 40%, of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities. Guided by some of the nation’s most aggressive climate and clean energy initiatives, New York is on a path to achieving a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70% renewable energy generation by 2030, and economywide carbon neutrality by mid-century. A cornerstone of this transition is New York's unprecedented clean energy investments, including more than $55 billion in 145 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce building emissions, $3.3 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $2 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. These and other investments are supporting more than 165,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector in 2021 and over 3,000% growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, New York also adopted zero-emission vehicle regulations, including requiring all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the State be zero emission by 2035. Partnerships are continuing to advance New York’s climate action with nearly 400 registered and more than 100 certified Climate Smart Communities, nearly 500 Clean Energy Communities, and the State’s largest community air monitoring initiative in 10 disadvantaged communities across the state to help target air pollution and combat climate change.
