November 4, 2025

Media Contact: John Lindsay |john@moxiestrategies.com

STATEMENT FROM THE UPGRADENY COLLABORATION on UTEN Projects

Albany, NY - The UpgradeNY Collaboration released the following statement as the comment period for the Utility Thermal Energy Network (UTEN) Pilot Project Engineering Design and Customer Protection Plans comes to a close: 

“The 2022 Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act (UTENJA) authorized rapid advancement of utility-led thermal energy network pilots that can generate lessons for a thermal utility model in New York, decarbonize New York’s buildings, and lower costs for everyday New Yorkers. We urge the Commission to advance the six utility thermal energy networks under consideration to Stage 3: Customer Acquisition and Construction.

The Public Service Commission’s call for comments drew an overwhelmingly positive response including more than 1,000 submissions from UpgradeNY members, New Yorkers eager for clean energy investments, supportive legislators, and union workers ready to build them. If approved, these thermal energy networks will provide family-sustaining union jobs in clean energy, while supporting New York in meeting its climate and energy goals. 

We thank Chair Rory Christian and the PSC for continuing to advance these projects, and look forward to continued collaboration to get construction underway. These pilots demonstrate how New York can rapidly deploy thermal energy networks statewide, and there is no time to waste. Let’s get to work.” 

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About Us

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. Members include Building Decarbonization Coalition, New York League of Conservation Voters, The New York State AFL-CIO, ALIGN, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, New York State Building and Construction Trades Council, Sierra Club’s Atlantic Chapter and Alliance for a Green Economy (AGREE). Learn more at upgradeny.org