Last Friday, before the Holiday Weekend, New York, Governor Cuomo's State Energy Regulators finally Released their Plan to align New York’s Fracked Gas System with New York's Climate Laws and Goals after Stalling Seven times to Release the Plan.
But their Plan does Not have:
- A Clear Map to Gas Reduction and Retirement.
- An Alignment with New York Climate Law that includes Addressing Environmental Justice and Affordability.
- An End to Current Utility Subsidies for Fracked Gas Expansion.
As the Planet Burns and Drowns, Utility Grid Power Failures are becoming more Frequent in Climate-Changing Events, like what we saw yesterday in Texas' Winter Storm. We don't have Time to Wait for Regulators to make Space for Capitalism to Catch-Up while Ecosystems and Communities are Suffering and Dying.
It is the 11th Month of a Global Pandemic, and some of us have to make the Hard Decision of Paying Electric Bills or Rent Bills this Month. No one should have to Live in Fear of Not being able to make their Utility Bills and Facing the Threat of a Utility Shut-Off for their Home or Business. Furthermore, the Utilities are Not Accountable to Anyone and Build Fossil Fuel Infrastructure through New York Communities.
Sane Energy Project is a Member of both the Statewide Public Power Coalition and the citywide Public Bank Coalition.
Public Power: Investor-Owned Utilities that must Primarily Answer to Shareholders, and therefore Profit, can neither Deliver an Effective nor a Just Plan to Address the Urgent Challenges of the Climate Crisis. Residents are continually Exploited with Unaffordable Rates, Unnecessary Rate Hikes, and Poor Service while the Maintenance of Energy Grids are Subject to Disastrous Negligence. Like Water, Access to Clean Energy is a Basic Right. As we see the State Regulators constantly Cowering to a Profit-based Business Model using our Money to Expand Fossil Fuels and Debt, they are Building a Movement to Own our Power.
Check-Out these Two Bills: The NY Build Renewables Act and the NY Utility Democracy Act.
Public Bank: Right now, Billions of Dollars in City Money, our Money, are on Deposit with Wall Street Banks. These are the same Banks that have Profited Off the COVID-19 Crisis and continue to Harm Our Communities through persistent Redlining and Investments in Destructive Industries like Private Prisons and Fossil Fuels. It Doesn’t have to be this way.
We can Create a public Institution to hold City Funds and Invest in Affordable Housing, Worker-Owned and Small-Business, and other Essential Community needs.
Through a Public Bank, New York City can Divest from Wall Street and Invest in a Racially and Economically Just Future.-
CLICK HERE to read the Renewable Energy Advocates's Gas Planning White Paper.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
