Happy Independence Day! We hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend with friends and family. It was a busy month so let’s get you caught up on all things Climate Jobs NY. 

Diversifying NY’s Clean Energy Economy with Good Union Jobs!

It was an electric start to the week as Governor Hochul signed three clean energy bills that will help ensure a just transition for our communities and workers while diversifying our energy system to help ensure reliability and resilience. 

Chiefly, the Governor signed a bill CJNY and its affiliates prioritized which will require prevailing wage on solar projects that are above 1 MW and utilize the procurement of renewable energy credits from a public entity. This increases the number of projects covered by prevailing wages and will lead to more family-sustaining jobs throughout the state. 

Second, the Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act is a game-changer in diversifying the types of technologies that will lead us to achieve our carbon emissions while creating a lane for union pipefitters and other skilled trades in the transition to clean energy. This bill requires the Public Service Commission to create the regulatory framework for utility-scale thermal networks. These networks include district geothermal and other community-scale thermal infrastructure projects that can heat and cool homes. 

Last but not least, the Advanced Building Codes, Appliance and Equipment Efficiency Standards Act of 2022 bolsters New York's regulatory and policy framework to support energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction initiatives in buildings along with expanded appliance standards.  

CJNY has also spent much of June meeting with the State, NYSERDA, and other regulators about the need for strong labor standards and domestic manufacturing in the upcoming offshore wind solicitation.

CJNY Testifies at City Council, Reps at NE Clean Energy Council Summit

CJNY staff are present in our communities calling for good union jobs in the clean energy economy. During the NYC Council hearing on Local Law 97, Tory Kaso highlighted that “the only way to guarantee the creation of union career pathways in building retrofits is by funding a robust pipeline of union work under a PLA….” That is the central tenet of our #CarbonFreeHealthySchools campaign. CJNY was represented by Mariah Dignan during a panel on local perspectives during Northeast Clean Energy Council's Regional Grid Infrastructure Planning Summit in NYC. Mariah was also with our brothers and sisters from IBEW Local 3 and Kleinberg Electric at Equinor's education session on the Beacon Wind offshore wind project that plans to interconnect in Astoria. CJNY is making it clear that early, frequent, and multi-pronged education and empowerment efforts with communities is how we responsibly develop clean energy.  

Climate Jobs in the News

Check out Gary LaBarbera and Vinny Alvarez’ opinion piece in Politics NY that focuses on a jobs plan to address the climate crisis. After a recent report released by Cornell’s Labor Leading on Climate Initiative, The Climate for Change report, there is an outline for “a climate jobs action plan, which comprises a suite of concrete policy recommendations that cover buildings, energy, transportation, resilience and adaptation, and workforce development.” Read more here.

#ICYMI Updating aging NYC school buildings will reduce the city’s carbon emissions: energy advocates, NY Daily News

CJNY interim Executive Director, Dave Hancock, was interviewed by the Daily News highlighting the need and urgency for Carbon-Free and Healthy Schools in New York City. “The emissions are huge. We’re spending a ton of money on energy; it’s building stock we control as a city. It’s a huge opportunity to improve school infrastructure … and create union jobs,” said Hancock. Read the rest of the article here.

Stay tuned for more CJNY summer updates including local labor union education sessions on climate change & offshore wind, community block parties, and of course our next “What’s Brewin Offshore?” event.