air & energy

About the Air & Energy Program

Energy use—including electricity, transportation, and heating—is the most significant source of the pollution that is changing our climate and causing smog, acid rain, toxic mercury pollution, and other serious environmental problems. Environmental Advocates of New York’s Air & Energy Program is focused on reducing air pollution and promoting the clean technologies that will set New York on the path to a safe and sustainable energy future.

Our work includes promoting policies that will improve air quality and reduce global warming pollution, as well as supporting New York’s efforts to increase energy efficiency and conservation and accelerate clean energy development.

Click here to learn more about global warming and our efforts reduce climate pollution In New York State.

Air Pollution

More than 65% of New Yorkers live in counties where air pollution endangers lives. Exposure to pollution due to burning dirty fossil fuels for electricity, heating, and transportation leads to asthma, bronchitis, and other serious health problems, as well as increased mortalities from lung-related ailments.

Environmental Advocates promotes energy policies that reduce our reliance on dirty sources of energy, cut energy demand, and protect our communities.

• We work with a coalition of environmental justice organizations to protect low-income communities and communities of color from being disproportionately burdened by the impacts of new power plants.

• We work to ensure that policies are in place that requires power plants to reduce mercury, including state regulations that limiting the allowable amount of mercury.

• We work to protect New Yorkers from pollution from outdoor wood boilers—a substantial source of black carbon and particulate matter pollution.

Energy Efficiency & Conservation

Environmental Advocates is working to increase New York State's investment in energy efficiency by watchdogging the state’s implementation of the steps required to cut power consumption 15 percent by the year 2015. Environmental Advocates has commented on proposed investments of state funds in energy efficiency, highlighted clean energy investments in New York, and worked with the broader environmental community to ensure that money designated for investment in energy efficiency is not swept for other purposes.

Renewable Energy in New York State

Environmental Advocates is working to bring clean, renewable energy to New York. We participate in the state regulatory proceedings at the Public Service Commission to implement the state renewable energy portfolio standard (the goal of which is to generate 30% of the state’s electricity from renewable sources). We also have worked to keep dirty sources of electricity generation, such as generating electricity from waste, from becoming eligible for state monies designated for clean energy projects.

Solar Energy

Despite its potential for growth and related economic and environmental benefits, solar photovoltaic is a negligible portion of New York’s energy mix, representing less than one percent of the state’s electricity generation.

We are helping advance legislation that would accelerate investments in solar power by implementing a cost effective, market-based program to drive down peak electricity prices, increase electric system reliability, and improve air quality. The new initiative would create local job and economic opportunities and grow New York’s solar industry. Click here for details about the Solar Jobs Development Act.

Offshore Wind

A 2010 report from the National Renewable Energy Laboaratoy  has estimated that New York has 150,000 megawatts of offshore wind capacity close to its largest sources of power demand—New York City and Long Island. Working with partner groups, Environmental Advocates is actively advocating for the development of of offshore wind power in the Atlantic Ocean.

Renewable Portfolio Standard

Environmental Advocates is working to ensure that New York State meets the clean energy goals outlined in the Renewable Portfolio Standard. The Renewable Portfolio Standard was adopted with a goal of increasing the proportion of renewable energy used by New York consumers to at least 30% by 2015.

Transportation

Environmental Advocates of New York promotes policies that advance the development of smarter, less auto-dependent communities, including:

• Increasing support for public transit;

• Stopping the diversion of dedicated transit dollars, thereby avoiding fare increases and cuts to dozens of bus routes and subway lines; and

• Serving on the Climate Action Council’s Transportation & Land Use Council Technical Working Group.

State Energy Plan

Environmental Advocates actively participates in New York’s energy planning. Currently, the state is developing a new energy plan. A draft plan is scheduled to be released on September 30, 2012.

We continue to advocate for the state to move away from polluting fossil fuels to cleaner, renewable sources of energy for both electricity and transportation.

Click here for more information about the New York State Energy Plan.