Opinion: NY’s climate progress is failing. A new plan for public power can fix it.

As the world boils under unprecedented heat waves, it’s more urgent than ever for New York to rapidly transition to 100% renewable energy. But a disturbing new report from state agencies admits that we are likely to fall short of our legally binding climate goals. We should not be surprised: Since 2017, progress on renewables has flatlined, with the state’s share of renewable energy increasing by less than 1%. To keep a sustainable future within reach, there’s only one answer: We must launch a bold new era of public power in New York. 

Our fundamental problem is that the state is currently relying entirely on private developers to build renewables – but they will build only if they can make a hefty profit. Thanks to a mix of inflation, supply chain issues and an outdated grid system that was designed for fossil fuels, 

building renewables just isn’t profitable enough in New York. That’s why progress towards our climate goals has ground to a halt. 

Where the market has so spectacularly failed, the public sector can and must take over. Thankfully, New York is extraordinarily well positioned to jumpstart a revolution in public renewables: We already have the biggest state public power provider in the country. 

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) was founded in 1931 by then-Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt to allow New Yorkers to benefit from inexpensive public power. FDR’s vision was a massive success: NYPA went on to develop nearly all of the state’s clean energy resources to date and continues to provide energy at a lower cost than for-profit utilities. 

Over the last five years, a broad coalition of climate groups, environmental justice organizers, labor unions and everyday New Yorkers fought to revive FDR’s New Deal vision through the Build Public Renewables Act. The law, which passed in 2023, directs NYPA to build public renewables at the scale and speed necessary to meet our climate goals while providing a host of economic and public health benefits. 

But so far, Gov. Kathy Hochul has done virtually nothing to fulfill the people’s mandate for public power. While NYPA’s CEO – appointed by the governor – has taken steps to initiate the public renewables program, there has been minimal transparency in the planning process and no public commitment to build enough clean energy to meet our climate goals, which the law requires. 

According to new research, NYPA must build at least 15 gigawatts of new clean energy projects by 2030 to hit climate targets. By adopting this ambitious goal, the state can create a whole new sector of green union jobs, lower skyrocketing utility bills for the New Yorkers who need it the most and shut down dirty fossil fuel plants on the timeline required by law. And because NYPA can finance its own projects and secure even more funding through the federal Inflation Reduction Act, we can have all of these benefits without raising utility rates or taxes by a cent. 

By building 15 gigawatts – enough to power 12 million households – NYPA would create roughly 25,000 good-paying green jobs, while funding training programs and apprenticeships to make sure our workforce is prepared for the task. These programs will retrain fossil fuel workers so they can benefit from the energy transition and continue using their important skills. They will 

also open up the green jobs sector to people in disadvantaged communities who have historically faced steep structural barriers to entering the trades. 

A 15 gigawatt plan would also help put the brakes on skyrocketing utility bills. NYPA can use profits from renewable energy to lower bills for New Yorkers currently struggling to pay them. As for-profit utilities seek massive rate hikes around the state, we have an opportunity to put money back in people’s pockets. 

On top of supporting the health of the planet, an ambitious public renewables buildout would also improve the health of our communities. Unless NYPA builds aggressively, we are unlikely to shut down dirty peaker plants by the legally-mandated 2030 deadline. That means thousands more children suffering from asthma and other harmful effects of air pollution. But with an aggressive plan for public renewables, we can repair damage to communities that have historically suffered from some of the worst air pollution in the state. 

As New Yorkers suffer with heat emergencies, unprecedented floods and dangerous air quality, Hochul’s neglect of renewables cannot continue. Thanks to FDR’s vision and the fighting spirit of New Yorkers, we have the tools in place to launch a new era of public power that serves all people – not just wealthy investors. Through NYPA, we can build a truly green New York, with 100% renewable energy, plentiful union jobs, lower bills and cleaner, healthier air.

The governor has a choice: She can bring FDR’s legacy into the 21st century, making New York a national model of policy excellence once again – or she can risk our safety and security, our homes and our economy, our very future. We implore Hochul to make the right decision.