Andrew Cuomo's Plan to Make New York State an Energy Powerhouse
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 New York’s biggest race this past Election Day was at the top of the ticket, with voters statewide deciding to promote Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to the Governor’s mansion.
But policy was given short shrift by the media, so BOMAFACTS provides this quick overview of an issue that will greatly impact our industry, the Governor–Elect’s "Power NY Agenda," which, among other initiatives, calls for making New York State #1 in wind power and increasing financing for energy efficient investments.
Complete details of the 150-page plan, including how to make New York State a leader in the Cleantech Economy, and why wind is its most promising renewable resource for large scale generation, can be downloaded at http://www.andrewcuomo.com/powerNY.
Cuomo proposes using strong performance management systems and clear metrics for measuring Power NY's success. Highlights include:
• Increase the availability of financing for energy efficiency investments
• Use code enhancements to improve energy efficiency
• Build the "smart grid"
• Improve environment quality through renewables and clean energy
• Make New York State the nation’s leader in wind power (enter into off-shore
wind agreements when economically feasible)
• Make New York State a leader in solar energy
• Evaluate the overlapping responsibilities of NYPA, LIPA, NYSERDA and
other agencies/authorities
• Reform the PSC by requiring more accountability
According to Sylvester Giustino, BOMA/NY’s Director of Legislative Affairs, the platform component most affecting us will be the financing for energy efficiency investments—"we’ll be pushing hard for more incentives," he states. (BOMA/NY has supported the State’s Energy Code, now being adopted by the City.) And he points to Power NY's call for evaluating the overlapping responsibilities of the State’s energy/utility groups, and PSC accountability reform, as undertakings that will "strongly affect our industry. We are looking for a streamlining of the bureaucracy that can lower costs."
The Governor-Elect’s "Cleaner, Greener Plan" stresses emphasizing urban revitalization and reinvestment in neighoborhood and infrastructure assets; enacting policies to encourage the development of Climate Smart Communities; focusing on green infrastructure (roof and rain gardens, pavement and subsurface detention and infiltration), and reviewing the Brownfield Cleanup Program to make it more efficient and ensure it actually cleans up and redevelops sites that need it most.
As the work begins on Power NY, look to BOMAFACTS for continuing updates.    
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