Summaries of the CAC, Advisory Panel and Working Group Meetings

Just Transition Working Group – Thursday, August 5, 2021

By: Anastasia Gordon

The Just Transition Working Group (JTWG) met on August 5 to hear an update on the progress of the jobs study, which will assess the impacts of the transition to clean energy economy on NY’s workforce. NYSERDA’s President and JTWG co-chair also updated the working group on the recently launched $5 million just transition site reuse planning program. Sarah Crowell (NY Department of State) then gave an overview of the Brownfields Opportunity Area Program while state staff highlighted a number of state workforce development initiatives. The JTWG will reconvene in late October.

Summaries of the CAC, Advisory Panel and Working Group Meetings - August 2, 2021

Climate Justice Working Group – Tuesday, July 27, 2021

By: Anastasia Gordon

On July 27, the Climate Justice Working Group continued to review and discuss draft scenarios and documentation on indicators considered as they work towards voting on the list of indicators that will identify disadvantaged communities (DAC). This is the mandate of the CJWG under NY’s climate law. The working group also received an outline of the plan for the public process from DEC’s Alanah Keddell-Tuckey. There will be a 120-day comment period and 6 public hearings to garner input on these draft indicators and scenarios, beginning in September. The CJWG will reconvene later in August.

Land Use and Local Government Recommendations – Wednesday, July 14, 2021

By Anastasia Gordon

On July 14, Environmental Advocates NY (EANY) and a group of local government leaders sent a letter providing comments on the Land Use and Local Government (LULG) Panel’s recommendations for the consideration of the Climate Action Council. Recognizing the key role of local governments in achieving the goals of NY’s climate law, EANY convened a roundtable of 24 local government leaders and experts to review and build upon the emissions reduction recommendations of the LULG Panel.

Summaries of the CAC, Advisory Panel and Working Group Meetings - June, 2021

By Anastasia Gordon

The Climate Action Council (CAC) meeting on June 28 focused on feedback from members of the Climate Justice Working Group (CJWG) on final Panel emissions reduction recommendations. The CJWG, which is tasked to define and provide strategic advice on meeting the needs of disadvantaged communities (DACs), narrowed in on the mitigation proposals of the Transportation and Energy Efficiency and Housing (EEH) Panels, specifically. Further engagement with the CJWG is anticipated in the near future to gain feedback on the remaining Panel recommendations. The CAC reconvenes on July 22.

Climate Justice Working Group - June 15, 2021

By Jeff Jones

Pressure on the CJWG to propose a working definition of disadvantaged communities (DAC), as required by the CLCPA, is growing as the Climate Action Council begins to evaluate proposals from various advisory panels. Staff advised the working group in relation to the CLCPA implementation timetable. To meet its schedule, the CAC needs draft scenarios by early August. This is to accommodate the need for the council’s scoping plan, which is due in early 2022, to go through a mandatory 120-day public comment period.

Climate Action Council - June 8, 2021

By Jeff Jones

Originally scheduled as a working session with the Climate Justice Working Group (CJWG), this meeting of the CAC featured a report from the Adaptation and Resilience Working Group (ARWG), which has functioned as a subgroup of the Land Use & Local Government Advisory Panel. The first of several meetings with the CJWG is now scheduled for June 28th.

For reference, ARWG representatives cited needed updating of New York’s 2014 Community Risk and Resilience Act (CRRA). Divided into 5 categories, the CRRA requires state agencies to consider 5 threat categories when developing state programs and policy.

Summaries of the Climate Action Council, Advisory Panel and Working Group Meetings - April 30 - May 14, 2021

By Anastasia Gordon and Jeff Jones

Recaps:

The Land Use and Local Government Panel reconvened for the last time to make discuss and make amendments to draft adaptation and resilience strategies. Among the suggestions made by Panel members included utilizing the latest climate projections, encouraging community-based planning, reducing pollution, and assessing the state of disrepair of dams. NYSDEC’s Mark Lowery noted the adaptation and resilience subgroup agreed to remove and defer a recommendation on maintaining the reliability of the energy system to the Power Generation Panel. The Panel will also present these recommendations at the CAC’s next meeting on June 8. Meeting notes and presentations from this and all other meetings of the Land Use and Local Governmental Panel, visit here.

The Climate Justice Working Group - May 24

By Jeff Jones

The Climate Justice Working Group met May 24th, facing intense pressure to agree on key principles to present at the Climate Action Council (CAC) meeting scheduled for June 8th. Additionally, the working group is expected to have reviewed many of the advisory panel reports that have been filed with the CAC from the perspective of those principles. Recognizing that time is short and the workload intense, support staff suggested procedural proposals. Several working group members balked at the schedule. Much of the two-hour meeting was spent discussing procedure rather than policy and searching for a solution to the looming time crunch.

The Climate Justice Working Group - May 12

By Jeff Jones

The Climate Justice Working Group met May 12th to review the status of its reports to the CAC, and to continue working on its primary obligation under the CLCPA, the development of a working definition of disadvantaged communities. Staff reviewed interactions with the CAC and various advisory panels and also reported on efforts underway by NYSERDA and DEC to interact with other state agencies to inventory and assess relevant programs that address existing systems for measuring, tracking and reporting potential DAC benefits. Multiple agency staff working groups are proposed for assessing DAC investments and collaboration over time.

The Land Use and Local Governments Advisory Panel - May 10

By Jeff Jones

The Land Use and Local Governments Advisory Panel report to the CAC developed five primary themes. These included:

- Promoting efficient land use and smart growth principles that reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT).

- Maximizing natural carbon sequestration potential.

- Facilitating responsible siting and adoption of clean energy sources.

- Providing local governments with needed tools and resources.

- And a commitment to environmental justice, disadvantaged communities and a just transition.

Climate Justice Working Group Update - April 21, 2021

By Jeff Jones

The Climate Justice Working Group met for two hours on April 21st, continuing its efforts to develop a working definition of disadvantaged communities (DACs) as required by the CLCPA. While many Advisory Panels are wrapping up their work and sending final recommendations to the Climate Action Council (CAC), the CJWG is struggling to gather essential data it needs. Guided by consultants from Illume, who have relevant experience with the development of the California EnvrioScreen, the working group is still addressing the most basic questions of its mandate: What proportion of the state will be designated as DACs? Will there be regional distribution or a New York City focus? Can consensus be achieved on what indicators will be used in the final recommended definition?

Summaries of the CAC, Advisory Panel and Working Group Meetings - More from April

Land Use and Local Government Advisory Panel – Wednesday, April 14, 2021

By Jeff Jones

The work of most Climate Action Council advisory panels is beginning to wind down. The Land Use & Local Government Advisor Panel, for one, will be delivering its report to the CAC on May 10th. This is after conducting 8 open-to-the-pubic panel meetings since September, with over a hundred comments from the public, 2 public engagement sessions and 2 local government round tables. The panel’s Land Use, Clean Energy and Carbon Sequestration sub-groups delivered their reports for final consideration by panel members at the April 14th meeting. The late-forming Climate Adaptation and Resilience subgroup will continue to meet until it delivers its report to the CAC on June 8th. Public comments are still being accepted via email to: LULG@dos.ny.gov or by mail to: Adaptation and Resilience Recommendations c/o Mark Lowery, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-1030.

April Summaries of the Climate Action Council Advisory Panel and Working Group Meetings

Several Updates:

Transportation Advisory Panel – Friday, April 9, 2021

By Anastasia Gordon

The thirteenth meeting of the Transportation Advisory Panel featured an update from The Cadmus Group on the status of the New York Clean Transportation Roadmap study. This was followed by a last review of the Panel’s draft mitigation recommendations, which will be advanced to the Climate Action Council (CAC) in May for inclusion in the scoping plan to achieve NY’s climate law.

Climate Justice Working Group Update

March 24, 2021

By Jeff Jones

The Climate Justice Working Group met March 24th to continue its mandated work to develop the criteria for defining disadvantaged communities under the CLCPA. Consultants continued to report on modeling using a threats and vulnerabilities framework and to draw lessons from similar programs, including the California EnviroScreen, DEC EJ community air quality variables and federal EJ screens. Working group members continued to raise questions to clarify and narrow the criteria being developed.

Just Transition Working Group Update

March 23, 2021

By Jeff Jones

The goal of this meeting was to finalize recommendations the JTWG will be presenting to the Climate Action Council (CAC) at its April 12th meeting. The working group focused on its mandated workforce training recommendations and business impacts identified by two subgroups. The working group also heard a presentation on the future of fossil fuel power plants across the country, including a projected timeline for their decommissioning, by Prof. Emily Grubert of George Tech. Her report was followed by a New York State power plant inventory with a focus on site reuse. The meeting ended with a brief update on the on-going NYSERDA Jobs Study.

Updates of the Climate Action Council and Advisory Panels and Working Group Meetings for March, 2021

By Anastasia Gordon, Clean Energy Policy Fellow and Jeff Jones, Communications Consultant, ACE NY

Transportation Advisory Panel – Thursday, March 18, 2021

On March 18, the Transportation Panel received a presentation from The Cadmus Group on hydrogen and biofuels. The Panel then reviewed draft recommendations on financing and market – based measures as well as received an overview of NYS electric vehicle (EV) programs. Throughout April, the Panel will continue engagement and work towards refining and finalizing its mitigation strategies, which it will present to the Climate Action Council (CAC) in May.

Updates from Climate Action Council and Advisory Panels - Late February- March 3, 2021

Anastasia Gordon, Clean Energy Policy Fellow and Jeff Jones, Communications Consultant, ACE NY

Climate Action Council – Friday, February 26, 2021

At its eight meeting on February 26, the Climate Action Council (CAC) primarily focused on presentations on electrification from the Transportation and Energy Efficiency and Housing Panels. The CAC, which will be developing a Scoping Plan to implement NY’s climate law, also received updates for state agencies.

Agriculture & Forestry Advisory Panel - Update from March 16, 2021

By Jeff Jones

Meeting on March 16th, the Agriculture and Forestry Advisory Panel discussed ongoing work to refine its recommendations to the Climate Action Council. The meeting featured staff reports on three main categories: Developing the bio-based economy; agriculture and forest conservation strategies to maintain and expand carbon sequestration; and forest and land management.

Climate Justice Working Group Update

By Jeff Jones

The main work of the March 12th meeting of the Climate Justice Working Group (CJWG) was to hear a presentation by California environmental justice leaders on the efforts in that state to develop a working definition of disadvantaged and climate impacted frontline communities. To fulfill its mandated task to achieve a working definition to guide mandated resources under the Climate Leadership and Community Preservation Act (CLCPA), the working group has focused on a similar definition and process in California to create the Cal Enviro Screen. Three speakers from California representing different climate and EJ organizations discussed and evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of that state’s process to address historically disadvantaged communities.