By Grace Prince
This week, the State Assembly returns for what is expected to be two more days of legislative action before they wrap up their side of the 2023 Session. The State Senate already completed their work, overwhelmingly passing a number of NYLCV-priority bills that have not yet been voted on by the Assembly, leaving the lower house with a huge opportunity on measures such as a Clean Fuel Standard (CFS), the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Law, and a Just Energy Transition, among others.
The CFS, in particular, if passed by the Assembly, would be a monumental stride towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring a cleaner, more sustainable future for all. New York would be just the fourth state in the nation to pass such a law. The bill, which NYLCV Deputy State Policy Director Andrew Williams called “a top priority here at the League” in a recent legislative debrief, would reduce carbon intensity from the on-road transportation sector by 20% by 2031 and would be a crucial step towards a zero-emissions future. With 80 co-sponsors and strong bipartisan support, we are confident of the bill’s passage if it were to make it to the Assembly floor and we ask that you join us in urging your Assemblymember to push this historic bill towards the finish line.
Another NYLCV-priority bill on the line when the assembly reconvenes is the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Law, which would help remove from the solid waste stream rechargeable batteries that are used in e-scooters and e-bikes and other consumer items. Urge your Assemblymember to support this measure before they adjourn.
With only six-and-a-half years left to meet the clean energy mandates laid out by the CLCPA, we are at a critical inflection point where three of New York’s essential offshore wind projects – that would produce 3.3 GW, over one-third of New York State’s 9 GW offshore wind, mandated by the CLCPA – are under direct threat. That is why this past weekend, NYLCV joined with the Natural Resources Defense Council, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, and the Sierra Club in a letter to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie urging the Assembly to pass A7764, the Offshore Wind Transmission Act.
“Without passage of this bill this session, the Empire Wind 2 project will not stay on its timeline, jeopardizing not only this critical initiative but also creating a domino effect delaying and potentially derailing other crucial projects currently in the pipeline: the Empire Wind 1 project, the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal and the Beacon Wind 1 project,” the letter stated.
NYLCV has also been working closely with environmental justice groups to advocate for the passage of the Just Energy Transition Act, which would provide a blueprint to guide the replacement and redevelopment of New York State’s fossil fuel facilities and their sites—which are disproportionately located in low-income communities and communities of color—by 2030.
Last week NYLCVEF hosted a Lunch and Learn event where Policy Director Pat McClellan and Deputy State Policy Director Andrew Williams provided a comprehensive debrief of the 2023 Legislative Session that included a Q&A segment for the viewers. Watch the full debrief here.
In speaking about the bills that were passed by the senate, McClellan noted that “almost all of them were passed by overwhelming margins, and the assembly still has a chance to pass them next week.”
With the Assembly’s return, NYLCV will continue to advocate for the following bills in the coming week:
- NYS Rechargeable Battery Recycling Law
- Clean Fuel Standard
- EV Charging in Public Lots bill
- NY Wildlife Crossing Act
- Just Energy Transition
- NY HEAT Act
- Ride Clean Rebate
- Removing PFAS in Menstrual Care Products
Environmental Wins (So Far)
We are pleased to report that several NYLCV-priority bills have already passed both the State Senate and State Assembly. In collaboration with a large coalition of environmental and health organizations, the Birds and Bees Act was passed in both houses in a hard-fought win that will target treated seed and pesticide use in an effort to address pollinator collapse. The other bills that are headed to the governor’s office are the Lead Pipes Right to Know Act, Community Right to Know Act, and the Highway and Depot Charging Plan, as well as a law that will make it easier to tap into the power of geothermal heat.