Senate Energy Proceedings

By Julia LaGrange, ACE NY Intern

As Climate Week 2025 wrapped up, ACE NY had the opportunity to testify at two important Senate events. Deb Peck Kelleher, Deputy Director of ACE NY, testified at a Senate Roundtable on New York's Climate Law Goals, and Executive Director Margeurite Wells testified at the Senate Joint Public Hearing on Oversight of the Public Service Commission's Processes Related to Rate Case and Generic Proceedings. These events, following one of the most important times of the year in New York for climate discussions and action, highlight, that despite federal intent to diminish climate work, New York is staying committed to the clean energy transition.

The actions ACE NY identified during both submitted testimonies (Roundtable Testimony and Hearing Testimony) as necessary for reaching New York's CLCPA goals fall under six main categories: renewable energy, interconnection and transmission, offshore wind, transportation, buildings, and state funding.

ACE NY called for numerous actions related to deploying renewable energy, including reducing the permitting review time at ORES, expediting permitting approvals at all relevant New York State agencies, including agrivoltaic projects in the agricultural property tax exemption, and removing renewables from outdated requirements that cannot be applied to renewable energy projects. ACE NY also called for the signing of several key bills to address critical issues, such as stabilizing the renewable energy taxation appraisal methodology and raising the distributed solar energy goal to 20 GW by 2035.

In addition to renewable energy actions, ACE NY asked for advancements in interconnection and transmission, and building and transportation electrification. Through electrification from renewable energy sources, New York can continue to make progress on state climate goals. These measures will assist residents and building owners with costs, as weatherization and energy efficiency improvements in the form of heat pumps will make heating and cooling more affordable. ACE NY also made several requests for actions to promote Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs).

A major part of New York's Climate Law hinges on the development of wind projects. Because New York City needs more renewable power, ACE NY asked for several actions concerning offshore wind. Transmission upgrades and coordination will lower costs for wind energy by increasing efficiency. Additional supported actions, such as procurement reform, would create more flexibility and remove unnecessary risks to offshore wind developers. Overall, these actions have the power to decrease costs for New Yorkers by up to $70 billion.

For state funding, ACE NY urged the implementation of the New York Cap and Invest (NYCI) program. This program would add billions in funding for the clean energy transition, and it is designed with the goal of keeping energy prices affordable for all New Yorkers. To support local communities and vulnerable consumers, NYCI will take direct steps to minimize costs for low- and middle-income households. It is predicted that this program will generate between $6 and $10 billion annually, 67% of which would be reinvested into the state's energy infrastructure. ACE NY strongly supports NYCI and called for its adoption in order to promote clean energy.

At the public hearing, ACE NY highlighted various decisions by the Public Service Commission (PSC) that risk stalling New York's clean energy transition. The rejections of both the New York City Public Policy Transmission Needs (PPTN) project and the Clean Path New York transmission project as a priority for NYPA indicate troubling delays for clean energy, and they pose the danger of sending a message to investors that New York is not prepared for long-term investments. The PSC also recently expressed support for a natural gas pipeline that is inconsistent with CLCPA goals. The project promotes energy that the CLCPA calls for phasing out, and it will increase costs for ratepayers over the coming decades. Finally, ACE NY closed by recommending pathways for the PSC that will increase renewable energy investments and help address the climate crisis in New York.