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For too long Albany policymakers have approached the energy sector with a mindset of subtraction rather than addition. In the past, policies favored traditional energy sources while overlooking the promise of renewables. Today, the focus has shifted entirely to renewable energy while neglectfully disregarding the consequences for the workforce, consumers and the grid. The rapid push toward a carbon-free, all electric grid has come at a high cost—eliminating jobs, driving up energy bills, and, perhaps most concerning, revealing itself to be both unrealistic and unattainable.

For once, Albany has a realistic, forward-looking alternative Senator Kevin Parker (D-Brooklyn), Chair of the Senate Energy Committee along with Senator Sean Ryan (D-Buffalo) and Assemblyman William Conrad (D-Tonawanda) have introduced a package of bills that will, for the first time, shift New York’s energy strategy from subtraction to addition.

Together, this legislative package strikes a smart balance – simultaneously prioritizing jobs, affordable energy, and emissions reductions. We have always known that reducing energy usage is a key component for cutting emissions. One of the most effective ways to do that is through improving insulation and weatherization in homes and buildings. The bill sponsored by Senator Ryan and Assemblyman Conrad would do just that – creating good paying union jobs while reducing emissions. It’s a true win-win scenario.

Meanwhile, Senator Parker has introduced a suite of four bills that reflect a comprehensive vision for our energy future. His proposals would preserve existing natural gas jobs while also creating new ones. Through hybrid heating programs that integrate heat pump technology, accelerating the development of renewable natural gas, supporting clean hydrogen technology and advancing carbon capture projects to reduce emissions.

Together these bills chart a realistic and inclusive path forward – one that maintains vital energy jobs, creates new opportunities in clean energy and efficiency, and continued growth of renewable energy at a sustainable pace.

This package of bills is proof that New York can correct courses. We do not have to choose between jobs and emissions reductions. We can have both. And we can do it without sacrificing the employees that have kept our energy systems running for decades.

With the legislative session quickly drawing to a close, we urge lawmakers to take swift action on this package of bills. New York has always been a leader in innovation. Now is the time to do it again, and show the rest of the nation what’s possible.

It’s a time-honored tradition in Albany for advocacy groups to come up with catchy acronyms for legislation. Such is the case with the “NY HEAT” Act, which stands for New York Home Energy Affordable Transition. Last year, when the New Yorkers for Affordable Energy coalition was critical of the bill, our concern was met with the reply, “What are you talking about, I mean, it literally says affordable in the title!” While that may be so, the problem like many things in New York State politics, appearances are not what they seem.

The NY Heat Act is unaffordable for New York families.  The latest version of the bill does NOTHING to directly reduce energy costs, and worse allows unelected Albany bureaucrats even more power and authority to dramatically increase your bill in the future. The bill would also force those folks to pay for the full or partial cost of electrifying their homes. Those changes would cost customers another $20,000- to $50,000!

The bill also looks to eliminate the “100-foot rule” that requires utility companies to connect new homes or businesses to gas service at no cost if they are within 100 feet of the gas main line. These projects must be performed by highly-trained workers who specialize in the safe operation of gas infrastructure. Eliminating the “100 foot” rule will put thousands of these hard-working New Yorkers on the unemployment line and severely impact the ability of these men and women to make a living.

Perhaps the most unsettling part of the bill, is that the NY Heat Act threatens the reliability of our state’s utility system and by extension our ability to simply keep the lights on and heat our homes in upstate New York. In an article published on Syracuse.com on December 2, 2024, Cornell University Professor Lindsay Anderson, laid out this very scenario. Specifically, she stated that, in addition to all of the planned solar and wind projects we are initiating, we will need an enormous 40 gigawatts of baseload power from “some other source”. If you’re wondering how much 40 gigawatts is, it’s roughly equal to the entire capacity of all of the State’s current power plants. The issue that seems to be ignored by the bill’s supporters is that without the existing generating sources like natural gas, there is no other source currently available to fill that gap to fuel our homes and power our businesses. Professor Anderson ran simulations of that scenario in the coldest and hottest months of the year and the results indicated there would be “blackouts that could last a month in some parts of the state.”

In conclusion, the NY Heat Act will increase energy bills, it will put thousands of people out of work, and it will threaten the reliability of the State’s energy grid. We urge the Governor and the Legislature to move on from this failed idea and work together to find concrete ways to lower energy costs, protect high-paying energy jobs, reduce emissions and strengthen grid reliability.

Daniel Ortega takes the helm as permanent Executive Director, Organization reacts to budget, announces new goals for membership, advocacy, messaging, and policy.

ALBANY N.Y.: New Yorkers for Affordable Energy (NYFAE) held a virtual press conference today to announce new leadership, an aggressive strategy to recruit new members as well as its 2024 advocacy agenda, released in part in response to the Governor’s Budget Address.

Daniel Ortega, who has served as Interim Executive Director since the spring of 2023, was unanimously appointed to the position full-time by the NYFAE Steering Committee. Ortega is a life-long union activist and advocate for working families both in New York and New Jersey. He also serves as the Community Affairs Chief for Engineers Labor-Employer Cooperative Local 825.

“It is an honor to lead this coalition, which is the most consistent voice for energy sanity in New York State,” said Ortega. “Whether you are an elderly person living on a fixed income, a single mother living in a big city or a farmer struggling to make ends meet, affordable energy is a necessity-not a luxury. Politicians in Albany say they are focused on affordability. When it comes to energy, 2024 is their chance to put up or shut up.”

NYFAE represents a diverse coalition of labor and business organizations concerned about the impacts of New York’s rush to abandon the gas system that consumers still rely on, while exponentially raising costs for those who can least afford it. The NYFAE Steering Committee has representation from organizations including the Engineer Labor-Employer Cooperative (ELEC) 825, Power and Construction Group Inc., Enbridge Inc., National Fuel and Millennium Pipeline Co. LLC. Recruiting more members to the cause will be a major goal in 2024.

“NYFAE is the leading voice for common sense energy policy in Albany,” continued Ortega. “Since this organization was founded, we have not been afraid to take on difficult issues with the aim of moderating extreme policies that raise energy costs for families in New York. In 2023, we were a key voice opposing the proposed ban on natural gas service in existing buildings and in 2024, we will work to ensure that costly policies like the so-called NY HEAT Act do not become law, and somehow mitigate the detrimental impacts of a Cap and Invest strategy. If you agree with us that this is a top priority-we would welcome you into our coalition.”
The NY Heat Act, which passed the Senate in 2023, would direct the Public Service Commission to transition away from natural gas, discontinue parts of the natural gas system and force consumers to convert their homes and businesses to electricity. Language included in the budget would make this provision even worse, by setting a date certain of the end of 2025 to end investment in parts of the natural gas system. It would further impose a 6% cost cap that benefits a small group of customers, while imposing a massive energy tax on every other customer. Further, conversions to electricity will cost residents and businesses between $20,000 to $50,000, and provide no means for them to recover that forced investment. Finally, it would eliminate the “100-foot rule” that requires utilities to hook up new customers to the gas system if they are within 100 feet of an existing mainline.
“Defeating the NY Heat Act is our top goal this legislative session. We appreciate the Governor leaving large parts of it out of her State of the State and including only a modified version in her state budget. However, we are concerned about her embrace of abolishing the 100-foot rule and applying it only to gas and doubtful that her $50 million allocation through NYSERDA will cover the costs associated with a 6% income cap. We will continue to speak out on this important issue and educate lawmakers on its negative impacts for both working men and women and consumers more generally.”
As part of NYFAE’s new advocacy approach this year, the organization is also developing and will be promoting an affirmative legislative agenda that highlights affordability and consumer choice. Among the ideas that the organization is likely to pursue are:

An Energy “Tax Cap”
Automatic exemption from new energy fees and taxes for seniors
An independent cost-benefit analysis of CLCPA
An audit of NYSERDA clean energy programs
A State incentive to build out the natural gas system in areas dependent upon less clean or affordable fuels or who live in areas with high rates of respiratory illness.
“AE is going to take both a proactive and a reactive approach for the first time this year,” concluded Ortega. “It is time our opponents were made to defend their high-cost solutions and explain why working people should continue to pay more and get less, while the wealthy benefit from their out of touch policies. All I can say to them is ‘stay tuned’.”

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/new-york-playbook-pm/2024/01/11/hochul-doubles-down-on-mental-health-00135087

Responding to Gov. Hochul’s 2024 State of the State Address

“We are pleased to see the Governor zero in on affordability as a major theme of her 2024 State of the State address. As an organization, we have long believed that making sure working families can live and thrive in our communities. should be the most important factor driving our state’s policy makers. We applaud Governor Hochul for not endorsing the entirety of the NY Heat Act, and for wisely choosing to buck extremists and leave out any mention of their 6% wealth redistribution scheme. We do, however, take issue with her endorsement of ending the “100-foot rule” for gas infrastructure because it threatens good paying union jobs at a time when our state can ill afford such losses. In many areas, natural gas is the most affordable option for an average family. This proposal would move this choice out of reach for all but the most affluent families. New York continues to lead the nation in population loss. It is essential that we change course now before it is too late. Ongoing costs being driven by New York’s well-intentioned but poorly executed climate goals are a major factor behind increasing utility bills. These increases hurt consumers and businesses alike. Further, these same bills are making New York uncompetitive and driving more and more of our citizens to seek opportunity elsewhere. This year, instead of letting ideology lead the way, let us all work together on an affordable and environmentally responsible energy agenda grounded in reality and common sense.” 

https://gothamist.com/news/winter-blackouts-more-likely-as-nyc-climate-goals-force-shift-to-electrical-heat

https://earthjustice.org/press/2023/as-heat-rises-and-electric-bills-soar-gov-hochul-must-protect-nyers-by-passing-ny-heat-act

https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/new-york-adopts-statewide-gas-ban-in-new-construction-75554474

https://stateline.org/2023/05/03/new-york-to-ban-fossil-fuels-in-new-buildings-23-states-have-forbidden-such-bans/