New York legislators and renewable heat advocates call on Public Service Commission to mandate investor-owned utilities to comply with State climate goals

Following the passage and signing into law of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), New York State legislators and renewable heat advocates are calling on the Public Service Commission (PSC) to require investor-owned utilities to meet state climate goals by expanding energy efficiency programs.

Clean energy advocates with the Renewable Heat Now Campaign sent a letter to the PSC on August 13th, with three specific demands:

● The utilities must comply with the 5 TBtu heat pump targets established in the December 2018 order. Currently, the Joint Utilities have stated their goal as only 2.7 TBtu, far short of the PSC’s goal.

● In order to meet the nation-leading targets outlined in New Efficiency: New York, the utilities must be mandated to expand efficiency programs to rapidly scale up energy retrofits for commercial (for-profit and not-for-profit) and residential buildings, including robust incentives and more and affordable financing options for insulation, air sealing, and heat pump installation.

● The utilities must provide strong incentives to support conversion to renewable, efficient heating and cooling to all customers, regardless of their current heating fuel. All electric customers – including those who heat with fracked gas – will pay for these programs through charges on their utility bills, and it is unfair, discriminatory, and contrary to the state’s climate goals to leave gas customers with no rebates for heat pumps. New York will reach its climate goals only if it transitions a large percentage of customers who are heating with fossil fuels – including fracked gas – to heat pumps.

Legislators are closely following the State’s New Efficiency: New York proceeding.

Renewable heat advocates plan on attending the September 19th PSC meeting to shine light on the process and press for a strong, comprehensive role for heat pumps in the energy efficiency program.

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Senator Salazar: 917-370-4440

Assemblymember Fahy: 518-455-4178

Senator Sanders: 718-523-3069

Senator May: 315-478-8745

Senator Metzger: 845-344-3311

 

New York legislators and renewable heat advocates call on Public Service Commission to mandate investor-owned utilities to comply with State climate goals posted first on Green Energy Times