Upgrade NY collaboration responds to PSC order
September 18, 2023 — In response to the New York Public Service Commission’s order in the Proceeding to Implement the Requirements of the Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act, presented during the September 14th session, the Upgrade NY collaboration released the following statement:
“Thermal Energy Networks are essential to realize neighborhood-scale clean heating and cooling across New York. The Public Service Commission is taking a thoughtful, managed and phased approach to the ultimate approval of these projects and we look forward to participating in the Commission’s technical conference, as well as reviewing each stage of utility filings. We support the Commission’s achievable timeline for Utilities to continue to refine their projects, many of which we believe will meet the criteria set out by the Commission and will ultimately be approved.
We are pleased to see the Commission adopt several recommendations put forward by members of Upgrade NY. For example, the Commission emphasized a need for transparency, consistent definitions, data collection, and reporting with unified metrics, all of which will provide clarity when ultimately reviewing the efficacy of the demonstration projects, and expanding the pilot program. Additionally, the Commission directed the utilities to indicate the status of labor agreements required to implement any of the approved pilot project proposals, as well as encouraging stakeholders, including the Utilities, to align their approaches to workforce development and training, and directing each Utility to describe how it plans to support local workforce development, consistent with the Utility Thermal Energy Networks and Jobs Act.
We look forward to projects advancing to the next stage so that New York can fulfill the goals of the Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act — to decarbonize New York’s buildings at community-scale and provide a just transition for the union workforce.
Upgrade NY is committed to continued collaboration with Governor Hochul and the Public Service Commission, together with Utilities, stakeholders, and community members across our state.”
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About #UpgradeNY:
The #UpgradeNY collaboration works together to advocate for affordable solutions to decarbonize New York’s buildings while creating a strong foundation for good-paying union jobs. In 2022, the #UpgradeNY collaboration successfully led the campaign to pass the Utility Thermal Energy Networks and Jobs Act, which allowed for the creation of utility-scale infrastructure projects that connect multiple buildings in a shared thermal network. This legislation will allow entire neighborhoods and communities to access affordable clean heating and cooling at a time, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, and provide a just transition for workers. Members include Building Decarbonization Coalition, New York League of Conservation Voters, The New York State AFL-CIO, ALIGN, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Building Trades Council of Greater New York, Sierra Club’s Atlantic Chapter and AGREE Alliance for a Green Economy. Learn more at upgradeny.org.