On January 14, 2021, together with Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, we held the fourth virtual forum in our series on Implementing the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. This roundtable focused on how protecting and managing New York’s Natural Resources can help us achieve the goal of net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions statewide by the year 2050. The forum was divided into two panels, one focusing on the state’s forests and the other on the agricultural sector. 

A recording of the forum is available here.

NYLCVEF President Julie Tighe kicked off the event, remarking on the state’s long history of protecting natural lands, dating back to the creation of Adirondack State Park. She also mentioned the importance of trees, which act as carbon sinks and help combat the “urban heat island” effect.

The first panel was moderated by Dr. Shahid Naeem, Chair of the Department of Biology at Columbia University. He mentioned the effect that forests have on the prevalence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, presenting a graph which illustrated how carbon dioxide levels rise in the winter and fall in the summer due to the increase in photosynthesis during that time. Carbon dioxide can accumulate in the atmosphere, the ocean, or the biosphere, but the latter is the only favorable carbon sink, said Dr. Naeem. He also emphasized the need to think of solutions which work on a global scale, but implement them on a local scale. According to Dr. Naeem, managing nature to mitigate and adapt to climate change is a multidimensional endeavor, involving social engagement, conservation-driven management, and use-driven management.

Sam Bishop’s work emphasizes social engagement. A board certified Master Arborist, Bishop serves as the Director of Urban Forestry and Education at Trees New York, a nonprofit whose mission is to plant, preserve, and protect New York City’s urban forests through education, active citizen participation, and advocacy. During the forum, he emphasized the use of trees to combat urban heat islands, areas where temperatures are higher than adjacent land due to land-use changes, including the use of heat-absorbing materials. Because of the shade they provide and a process called evapotranspiration which absorbs heat from the environment to evaporate water, trees are an important tool in fighting these hot patches. Bishop also mentioned the important role urban forests and street trees play in addressing environmental justice issues. During the Q&A portion of the forum, he said that upstate and urban forests are connected, with diseases and invasive species passing between them.

Jessica Ottney is the New York Policy Director at The Nature Conservancy. During the forum, she mentioned that most of New York’s forested land area is privately owned, with families accounting for 57% and corporations for another 14%. She then talked about the environmental benefits of these natural areas, which currently sequester a net of 26 million metric tons (MMT) of carbon dioxide annually. The goal is to increase that to 30 MMT by 2030 and 60 MMT across all land types by 2050. This can be achieved through work on a number of fronts, according to Ottney. We should continue to protect currently forested land, which is being done through research to map past, current, and potential future forest loss. Additionally, we can manage our forests more efficiently by having foresters help private landowners steward their forests in a way that maximizes the carbon they sequester. It is also important to address areas where regeneration status is threatened by deer, invasive species, and development. Ottley also stressed the need to protect environmental funding during this especially challenging budget year. During the Q&A portion of the forum, Ottley brought up the fact that the various threats facing forests often exacerbate each other, citing how invasive species make it harder for forests to adjust to climate change. She also mentioned that there is a lot that local governments, planning boards, and town halls can do to protect forested areas.

John Bartow is the Executive Director of the Empire State Forest Products Association. During the forum, he talked about the role of the forests and wood products sector of New York in climate change solutions. Bartow mentioned that New York’s extensive and relatively stable forests provide economic, social, and ecological value. In addition to the $22.9 billion and nearly 100,000 jobs they provide to the economy, forests are the only existing large-scale mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Bartow also included the fact that despite a rise in the per-acre carbon sequestration rate, the annual state sequestration rate is declining due to forest conversion. This underscores the need to protect our state’s forests. According to Bartow, the increase in demand for harvested wood products is a positive development, because it encourages people to increase the area and productivity of forests. He stressed the importance of recognizing the role markets play in landowner decision making. During the Q&A section, Bartow talked about the huge impact of invasive species and emergent diseases on our forests, bringing up chestnut blight and mentioning that oak wilt has gotten people very nervous. With regards to a question on deforestation to clear space for renewable energy, he acknowledged that people want to be a part of the solution instead of simply saying to stay off their farms and forests.

The second panel was moderated by Elizabeth Wolters, Deputy Director of Policy at the New York Farm Bureau. She brought up that farmers are on the frontline of climate change, as they bear the brunt of storms and are affected by everyday weather changes. She stressed that agriculture has a large impact on the climate, not only through its methane and nitrous oxide emissions but also because it is one of the only industries which can sequester carbon. During the Q&A section, she said that farmer to farmer conversation is the best way to spread sustainable farming practices.

Jenifer Wightman is a research specialist at the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. During the forum, she said that although agriculture accounts for only four percent of the state’s carbon dioxide emissions, there is still a need to focus on the sector’s methane and nitrous oxide emissions as well as the carbon dioxide that is released. According to Wightman, the agriculture sector can reduce emissions through sequestering carbon, destroying methane, increasing efficiency, displacing fossil fuels, and conserving energy and natural resources. She stressed the importance of cost in these practices, which is between $0 and $50 per ton of carbon dioxide mitigated. Finally, Wightman brought up the use of agrivoltaics, to allow farmland to be used for both renewables and agriculture.

Samantha Levy is the New York Policy Manager for the American Farmland Trust. During the forum, she reiterated Wolters’ point that farmers are on the frontline of climate change. She also mentioned that we need to produce 50% more food to accommodate population growth, while also cutting emissions as quickly as possible. Agriculture can help us get to net zero emissions, and that can be achieved through doubling annual carbon sequestration and reducing annual agriculture greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2050. Soils store 2 to 3 times more carbon than the atmosphere and 2 to 5 times more than plants. Therefore, Levy says, how we manage them matters. She mentioned that through using cover crops and no-till or reduced-tillage practices, we could potentially sequester an additional more than 850,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. Levy also stressed the importance of protecting farmland; New York lost 250,000 acres of farmland between 2001 and 2016 and only 76,000 acres are permanently protected statewide. Levy also mentioned that our farmers are aging and that we need to bring a younger generation into the land.

John Macauley is a farmer at his family farm, Macaluey Farms of Livingston County. After tilling and unknowingly damaging their soil for 72 years, his family farm started experimental no-till in 2009. In 2014, they made the decision to go 100% no till. Now, the farm also employs cover crops, which warm the soil in the spring, help sequester carbon, protect cash crops from slugs, protect the soil from extreme rain, and give a nice layer of mulch for the next year’s crop. The result of these practices has been a $25,000 increase in revenue and 135% return on investment. During the Q&A section of the forum, Macauley mentioned that his family’s farm started to change their practices through a no-till program with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and then moved on to doing a cover-crop program with them.

Matt Tomich is the President of Energy Vision. During the forum, he emphasized that although methane accounts for only around 10% of GHG emissions in the state, it is responsible for 29% of the impact. He then went on to describe anaerobic digestion, a process through which organic wastes decompose in an oxygen-free environment and release biogas. According to Tomich, the vast majority of food waste ends up in landfills, where it emits large amounts of biogas and methane. Biogas has historically been used to produce electricity and heat, said Tomich. However, biogas, which is 50% to 65% methane, can be upgraded to renewable natural gas (RNG), which is 95+% methane. Tomich says that RNG can readily replace fossil fuels in numerous applications, and that the NY MTA began fueling more than 700 of its buses with RNG starting last fall. Finally, he emphasized that RNG made from dairy manure is significantly carbon negative.

Chris Noble is the Vice President of Noblehurst Farms. Noblehurst Farms practices converting manure into biogas which powers the rest of the campus. Noble explained that this is achieved by taking organic material and putting it in a vessel that can quickly turn it into biogas. He also noted that this system is replicable, and mentioned that it is most efficient to harvest methane on a larger-scale system. We must also divert organic material from landfills for either compost or digestor operations, says Noble. There is beneficial reuse for this material in energy production and returning nutrients back into land where they belong.

Thank you to our sponsor, ConEdison, for helping to make this forum possible.

We recently held the second virtual forum in our series on implementing the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act together with Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. This roundtable focused on reducing emissions from the buildings sector, both in and outside of New York City. Buildings account for 30% of statewide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and a staggering 70% of such emissions in New York City. The forum featured several expert speakers from the building and climate sectors: Zineb Bouzoubaa, Sarah Burger, Sophie Cardona, Marvin Church, John Ciovacco, Dan Egan, Donovan Gordon, Stephanie Margolis, Bill Norwak, Amy Turner, and Jason Vollen.

To view the recording of the forum, please click here.

The first part of the forum focused on New York City.

Amy Turner is a Senior Fellow at Columbia’s Sabin Center and the co-founder of the NYC Climate Action Alliance. During the forum, she talked about Local Law 97 (LL97), a carbon emissions bill passed into law in 2019 which places a declining GHG emissions cap on the city’s largest buildings beginning in 2024. Failure to meet the cap results in a fine of $268 per ton of carbon above the cap. The cap does not apply to rent-stabilized buildings. Turner also mentioned that only a handful of other cities across the country have comparable legislation.

Zineb Bouzoubaa works in the NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. She mentioned that the city recognizes that the emissions cap is ambitious, and would look to incentivize more buildings to comply through studying alternative lower-cost compliance pathways. She also mentioned that the city is developing strategies which drive investment in environmental justice communities. Bouzoubaa also mentioned the use of carbon trading to provide an additional source of revenue for buildings because of the ability to trade credits.

Dan Egan is the Senior Vice President of Energy & Sustainability at Vornado Realty Trust. He published Vornado’s Vision 2030, the company’s commitment to carbon neutrality. During the forum, he mentioned that although LL97 only starts implementing penalties in 2024, building owners should start reducing their emissions now to minimize their exposure to the law in the future. Egan also clarified that the all energy consumed in a building, whether by the owner or the tenants, counts towards the energy cap, and that owners must work with tenants to ensure efficiency. Additionally, he mentioned that the most promising measures that owners can implement today include lighting retrofits, motor replacements, the installation of variable frequency drives, automation programs, damper replacements, and glazing. Egan also stressed the importance of submetering and sharing data with tenants. He also brought up the fact that even though people are working from home in light of the pandemic, energy consumption has not gone down proportionally because of IT needs.

Sophie Cardona is the Senior Project Manager at the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA). Her work involves helping owners and tenants recognize opportunities to reduce emissions. During the forum, she spoke to the series of activities that can support the decision making process with respect to energy efficiency and management. These are available through NYSERDA, including expert advice and analytical models to calculate energy and cost savings. Specifically, she talked about FlexTech, a cost shared energy studies program which will provide 50-100% of the funding for an energy study. There is also a similar commercial tenant program, as well as a Green Jobs - Green New York program for small businesses. Cardona also said that COVID is impacting energy consumption in buildings because of the need for increased air filtration. According to Cardona, research is still ongoing, but possibilities include ventilation, filtration, and UVGI technologies.

Jason Vollen is the Director of Architecture at AECOM. He mentioned that there are other resources available to aid building owners in compliance, including PACE financing and energy savings performance contracting. He mentioned the need to challenge the demarcations between owner and tenant, and that looking broadly at entire systems will allow for larger improvements. Vollen emphasized the need for research dollars in the buildings sector. The city should consider utilizing geography to the city’s advantage as well as being competitive about how to reduce energy costs, according to Vollen.

The second part of the forum focused on the rest of the state, and was moderated by Bill Nowak, Executive Director at and Founding Member of NY-GEO.

Donovan Gordon, the Director of Clean Heating & Cooling at NYSERDA, brought up the CLCPA codified goals put in place years ago by the governor, including reducing carbon emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 85% below by 2050, as well as 0 carbon electricity by 2040. Also mentioned were the NY State Clean Heat Incentives program and the NYSERDA clean heat market development plan. Gordon stated that a third of carbon emissions in the state come from building HVAC systems, and that we need to transition from fossil-fuel based systems to heating pumps. We can increase the use of heat pumps through education and economic incentives, he says. Other than paying upfront, financing options include home improvement and/or equity loans, PACE financing, the NYSERDA program, third party ownership, and heat pump incentives from utilities. Gordon also stated that the transition to clean energy results in a fundamental change in the state economy from fossil fuels to clean energy.

Sarah Burger is the Sustainability Planning Manager at PUSH Buffalo. The priorities at PUSH are to make residents comfortable with the idea of installing a heat pump, as well as making sure that the resident’s bill doesn’t increase. Burger mentioned that there’s a large amount of older buildings in Buffalo, and that means that some need to have updated electrical service or insulation to be heat-pump ready. PUSH educates homeowners about insulation and makes sure to monitor utility costs. PUSH follows a one-stop shop model, building trust by talking directly with homeowners before getting them signed up for an energy audit. They then guide the homeowner towards the NYSERDA funding programs and work with homeowners through repairs. Burger stressed the importance of reducing the paperwork burden on homeowners, and said that municipalities need to make it clear that code enforcement is not going to punish people working to improve their houses. Burger also mentioned the need for financing for repairs to prepare houses for heat pumps, and suggested tying renewable energy such as community solar programs into the offerings.

Marvin Church is the Vice-President and a Founding Member of Comrie Enterprises. He is also a Westchester Chapter board member for NYLCV. He mentioned that although wealthy for the most part, Westchester does have poor residents, and a big issue is that there are lots of new buildings with unattainable rents. People are fleeing which is causing rents to fall, but this also gives an opportunity to create a comprehensive energy plan. According to Church, COVID has raised new challenges, including financial troubles and a degree of complacency. People have other issues to deal with during the pandemic, and many are unfamiliar with the heating and cooling system industry, so they will wait until the last possible moment to comply with the code. People will generally wait to see how heat pumps work for other people before trying it for themselves. There is also a trust challenge, as people are unwilling to get work done by individuals they do not know or trust. Because of this, large scale education is needed, says Church.

John Ciovacco is the President of Aztech Geothermal and a Board Member of NY-GEO. According to Ciovacco, resources must be allocated between weatherization and heat pumps. He says taking combustion out of buildings is most important through heat pumps, emphasizing the effectiveness of ground source heat pumps, which will take out 80% of on-site energy. However, there are challenges to the widespread adoption of heat pumps. For example, water based pumps struggle above 120-130 degrees fahrenheit. Where heat pumps will not work, Ciovacco suggests air-sealing the building. He also stressed that the building sector has to electrify through stepwise signals in the marketplace. Ciovacco liked the idea of replacing leak-prone pipes with geothermal systems, to incentive utilities to get them to cover the cost. He also mentioned that NYSERDA has put a map together to help identify low to moderate income areas.

Thank you to our sponsors, AECOM and ConEdison, for helping to make this event possible.

We recently held a ninety minute informational session on the South Fork Wind project in partnership with Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Group for the East End, Renewable Energy Long Island, and Win With Wind. The South Fork Wind Farm, powered by Orsted and Eversource, will be the first offshore wind farm in New York State, and is expected to become operational in December 2023. The event featured remarks from East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc, a presentation by the South Fork Wind project team, and a question and answer session hosted by Joe Martens, Director of the New York Offshore Wind Alliance.

Click here to watch a recording of the event.

NYLCVEF President Julie Tighe kicked off the forum, mentioning that renewable energy projects like this represent one of the most important steps we can take to reduce the effects of climate change. She reiterated that New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act legally commits us to the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Tighe also stated that the project will produce enough energy to power over 70,000 homes, and result in more than $29 million in investments to the local community.

Following, Peter Van Scoyoc delivered his comments on the project. He said that the South Fork Wind Farm is a necessary part of reaching the town’s 100% renewable energy goal. He also mentioned East Hampton’s Climate Smart Communities Bronze Certificate as part of its commitment to sustainability. Bringing up the harmful algal blooms caused by nitrogen pollution and the risk posed to the south fork of Long Island by rising sea levels and increased storms, Scoyoc emphasized the harmful effects of climate change. Finally, Scoyoc talked about the 1.1 megawatt solar farm project the town has already completed, which offsets 50% of municipal energy use in town government buildings.

Jennifer Garvey, Long Island Development Manager for Orsted, provided an overview of the South Fork Wind Farm. The farm will consist of up to 15 turbines located 35 miles East of Montauk Point. She also mentioned that the Wind Farm will deliver 132 megawatts of output to the Long Island Power Authority’s East Hampton substation. The power will be transmitted through a single 138 kilovolt line. Garvey also stressed that the project was very receptive to community concern, as they are adhering to nearly 200 negotiations when building the farm. She then outlined the three components of the farm in East Hampton, the first of which is a sea-to-shore transition. The sea-to-shore transition consists of a 2,500 foot horizontal directional drill (HDD), which begins in the road 500 feet landward of the dunes, and ends 1,750 feet offshore of the beach. The second component is an underground transmission line, which includes about 2 miles of cable under town-owned roads, and another approximately 2 miles of underground cable near the LIRR corridor. Finally, there will be an expansion of the substation. 

Following Garvey’s presentation was a question and answer segment moderated by Joe Martens, featuring experts Ken Bowes, Vice President of Offshore Wind Siting & Permitting at Orsted, and Dr. William Bailey, Principal Scientist at Exponent. Ken Bowes started by fielding a question about what the sea to shore transition process entails. He mentioned that it consisted of drilling a 2,500 foot path for the cable and a conduit. The cable will extend 2,500 feet into the sea. To protect against future exposure due to erosion, the cable will be placed a minimum of 30 feet under the beach and will return to its regular depth when it is 550 feet inland. The use of the HDD method (illustrated in figure 1 below) as opposed to an open cut excavation method will also help protect against erosion.

Bowes went on to explain that throughout the project, beach and road access will be maintained for both vehicles and people. Drilling is expected to commence on November 1st, and will operate every day except Sunday from 7 AM to 7 PM. To deal with the noise pollution, the project will alleviate lots of high frequency noises as well as some of the lower frequency ones. Equipment will also be positioned strategically to minimize its noise pollution. There will also be real-time monitoring of noise levels, to modify noise if levels get too high.

Bowes also mentioned the construction of large underground concrete structures called vaults on Beach Lane, where the transition from a submarine cable to three separate cables takes place. The only visible difference post-construction will be the addition of two manhole covers. Vaults will be accessed for inspection after one year, before taking on a five year inspection cycle. There will be additional digging for 10 concrete-encased underground duct banks. Six of these will be located on publicly-owned roads, while the remaining four will be dug along the LIRR corridor. The work window on public roads will be from October 1st to April 30th, and it is expected to take 120 days to complete the work. The work pace will be 100 feet per day, resulting in 7-9 days of impact for a resident with 300 ft of frontage.

To expand the substation, a two acre parcel of land adjacent to the substation with low quality vegetation will be cleared. At the request of the community, the expanded structure will be only 45 feet tall and feature a permanent wall around it. There will be no residual noise while the project is running, Bowes says. Oversight for the project is expected to be provided from the contractors, South Fork Wind, the town, the state, and federal inspectors, to ensure everyone’s safety. Bowes pledged that if anything unsafe is observed, the job would be halted to fix it. 

Dr. William Bailey, one of the world’s foremost experts on electromagnetic radiation and fields, fielded questions about the possible health and environmental effects of the project. When asked whether the EMF from the project could harm people, pets, or marine life, Dr. Bailey explained that exposure assessment was carried out as part of the project. He said that because of the cables’ depth and structure, the EMF radiation levels are 10-50 times below international guidelines even when standing directly above them. In fact, the magnetic fields we experience in our homes from electrical appliances can be hundreds of times higher than any exposure from the project. He said that all electricity is capable of producing electric and magnetic fields, but that the cables’ metallic casing completely blocks out the electric fields, and that the magnetic fields partially cancel out each other. He also mentioned that South Fork Wind is complying with not only the state standards set in 1978 and 1992, but also with the health-based limits set by the World Health Organization.

To view the presentation slides, please click here. 

In partnership with the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, we are hosting a series of forums on implementing the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). This landmark law compels the state to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by 2050 and with a goal of net zero emissions in all sectors of the economy. 

The roundtable series focuses on specific solutions for achieving the goals of the CLCPA and covers the following sectors: offshore wind, buildings, transportation, natural resources, manufacturing, and waste. The goals of these forums are to facilitate meaningful discussion between experts on emission reduction solutions, while educating the public about New York’s landmark climate law.

Past Forums

Manufacturing

This forum focused on the opportunities and challenges of decarbonizing the manufacturing sector in New York State. This forum took place on May 25th, from 10:30am - 12pm. 

Please see the list of panel speakers below.

• Heather Briccetti, The Business Council of NYS
• Luke Clemente, Bonded Concrete
• Matt Roberts, Sherrill Manufacturing
• Randy Wolken, Manufacturers Alliance of NYS & Manufacturers Association of Central NY 
• John Williams, NYSERDA

Moderated by Dr. Julio Friedmann, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA 

To view a recording of the forum, please click here. To read the forum recap, please click here. 

Natural Resources

This forum looked at how preserving New York State’s forests and lands help mitigate climate change, as well as how New York State farm management practices can help meet CLCPA emissions reductions targets through carbon farming and the use of anaerobic digestion. This forum took place on January 14th, from 10am - 12pm. 

Please see the list of panel speakers below. Panel 1 discussed how protecting nature helps with climate change mitigation and adaptation. Panel 2 discussed how NY farms can help fight climate change through various techniques including carbon sequestration and the use of anaerobic digesters for organic waste.

Panel 1

John Bartow, Empire State Forest Products Association
Sam Bishop, Trees NY
Jessica Ottney, The Nature Conservancy
Moderated by Professor Shahid Naeem, Columbia University’s Earth Institute

Panel 2

Samantha Levy, American Farmland Trust
John Macauley, Macauley Farms LLC
Chris Noble, NobleHurst Farms
Matt Tomich, Energy Vision
Jenifer Wightman, Cornell College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
Moderated by Elizabeth Wolters, NY Farm Bureau

To view a recording of the forum, please click here. To view the presentation slides, click here. To read the forum recap, please click here.

Following the forum on Natural Resources, we will hold forums to cover the manufacturing, and waste. More information to come. 

Transportation Emissions

November 20th, 2020

This forum discussed reducing emissions from New York’s transportation sector, the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the state. The panelists focused on how two policies in particular -- the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) and a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) --  could help New York’s transportation industry meet CLCPA emission reduction mandates. Additionally, the forum discussed the importance of ensuring that these policies benefit the communities that are most disproportionately affected by climate change, often minority and/or low-income populations. 

Panelists:

• James Bradbury, Georgetown Climate Center
• Bruce Ho, Natural Resources Defense Council
• Ben Mandel, CALSTART
• Porie Saikia-Eapen, Metropolitan Transportation Authority
• Kerene Tayloe, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
• Floyd Vergara, National Biodiesel Board
  Panel moderated by Nick Sifuentes, Tri-State Transportation Campaign

To read a written recap of the forum, please click here.

To view the recording of the forum, please click here.  

Building Efficiency: NYC & Statewide

October 15th, 2020

This forum discussed reducing emissions from the buildings sector. It began with a discussion about NYC buildings in particular, before expanding to a statewide analysis. Among the topics discussed were the effect of the pandemic on building emissions, community solar, clean heating & cooling systems, and incentives.

Panelists:

• Zineb Bouzoubaa, NYC Mayor's Office of Sustainability
• Sarah Burger, PUSH Buffalo
• Sophie Cardona, NYSERDA
• Marvin Church, Comrie Enterprises
• John Ciovacco, President, Aztech Geothermal
• Dan Egan, Vornado
• Donovan Gordon, NYSERDA
• Stephanie Margolis, NYC Climate Action Alliance
• Bill Nowak, NY-GEO
• Amy Turner, Sabin Center
• Jason Vollen, AECOM

To read a recap of the forum, please click here.

To view the recording of the forum, please click here. 

Energy Transmission: Offshore Wind

August 6th, 2020

We kicked off our CLCPA series in August, 2020 with a forum on offshore wind’s role in meeting the emissions reductions goals mandated by the CLCPA. The CLCPA mandates 9000 megawatts of offshore wind energy to be generated in NY State by 2035. The forum focused on the transmission of offshore wind power to shore.

The forum began with a presentation by the Brattle Group (commissioned by Anbaric) on their study that analyzed the costs, environmental impacts, and risks of various approaches to transmitting offshore wind power to shore. Following the Brattle Group presentation, the panel of experts (below) continued the discussion, addressing the points of opposition, the cost, and the infrastructure necessary to get offshore wind power to shore. 

Panelists:

• Kevin Knobloch, President of New York OceanGrid, Anbaric
• Tammy Mitchell, Chief of Bulk Electric Systems, NYS Dept. of Public Service
• Kirsty Townsend, Director, Head of Special Projects & Decision Support, Ørsted
• Girish Behal, Vice President Project & Business Development, New York Power Authority

Panel Moderated by Joe Martens, Director, NYOWA

To read a written recap of the forum, please click here. 

To view the recording of the forum, please click here.  

Forum on New York’s Climate Law

October 2019

Together with the Earth Institute, Columbia Law School, and Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell, we hosted a policy forum to discuss the implementation of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). NYLCV President Julie Tighe issued opening remarks, in which she described the CLCPA as an enormous opportunity to not just reduce carbon emissions, but also to address the inequity of our polluting past. The first panel, moderated by professor Michael B. Gerrard, founder of Columbia University’s Sabin Center, featured a discussion about the current sources of greenhouse gas emissions across major sectors. The second panel, moderated by Professor Malo Hutson of Columbia University’s Graduate School, focused on “greening New York’s economy.” The panelists discussed how the CLCPA would affect their communities, from engagement around environmental issues to collaboration between the public and private sectors.

To read a written recap of the forum, please click here. 

Together with Columbia University’s Sabin Center For Climate Change Law, we recently held the third virtual forum in our series on implementing the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. This roundtable focused on reducing emissions from the transportation sector, which is the state’s largest contributor of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A recording of the forum is available here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9_YtVVLLLY

The forum featured discussions about two policies in particular: the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) and a Clean Fuels Standard (CFS). The forum was moderated by Nick Sifuentes, Executive Director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. It featured several expert speakers from the transportation and climate sectors: James Bradbury, Bruce Ho, Ben Mandel, Porie Saikia-Eapen, Kerene Tayloe, and Floyd Vergara.

James Bradbury is the Mitigation Program Director at the Georgetown Climate Center. During the roundtable, he spoke about how the Transportation and Climate Initiative would commit 12 Northeastern states to reduce emissions from regional transportation. The TCI proposes to cut down on the over 40% of carbon emissions that transportation is responsible for regionally through creating a multijurisdictional cap on carbon emissions. It proposes a 20-25% cut in carbon emissions from 2022-2032. It would also modestly raise prices at the pump and use the proceeds to fund research in and incentivize clean energy. The final memorandum of understanding for the TCI is on track to be released by the end of the year, with the policy set to go into effect in 2021. The TCI and its regional approach can get more done than if the states were to only act alone.

Bradbury also discussed the current federal political landscape. While he said that Congress is currently very unpredictable with funding, he stated that the Biden/Harris Administration will pursue climate-friendly initiatives such as setting federal vehicle emissions standards and restoring tax credits for electric vehicles. Because of uncertainty on the federal level, Bradbury contends that state and local leadership is critical to creating long-term climate programs. He said that a combination of bottom-up leadership from communities and state-level funding will be important.

Bruce Ho, Senior Advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council, mentioned the need for an “all-hands-on-deck” approach to tackle the transportation sector’s pollution problem. He lauded the TCI’s enforceable declining cap on transportation emissions and $1.4 billion in annual funding it would create, citing its potential to save lives and prevent over 1,000 childhood asthma cases in New York every year. He mentioned the need to use TCI funds to support equitable solutions like mass transit. He also stated that it would be unacceptable if the TCI exacerbates existing disparities, and that the program will need to provide certainties and guarantees for health benefits for communities of color. Finally, Ho emphasized that no single policy is a silver bullet, and that it is essential for a clean fuels standard to work hand in hand with the TCI.

Ben Mandel, Northeast Regional Director for CALSTART, reiterated that while the TCI is imperative, we also need an all-hands-on-deck approach. A clean fuels standard would establish a declining standard for the carbon from fuels used in the state. It would create revenue to reinvest in the public transportation system and the development of low carbon fuels. He said that clean fuel standard bills have bipartisan support in the State Assembly and Senate. Mandle suggested using incentives to reduce payback periods for investing in an electric fleet in order to get more clean-fuel vehicles on the road. To handle areas without access to mass transit, he suggested enhancing first and last mile connections such as e-bikes and e-scooters, reducing the need for single-person car trips.

Porie Saikia-Eapen, Director of Environmental Sustainability and Compliance at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, discussed the agency’s long term goals for fleet electrification, including plans to convert the entire 6000-strong bus fleet to run on electricity by 2040. This process has already begun through the purchase of 15 electric buses and plans to order 500 more in the 2024 capital plan. She mentioned that the MTA has 2000 miles of track, covers 5000 square miles of territory, and moved an average of 9,000,000 people per day prior to the pandemic. The agency keeps 17,000,000 tons of GHG emissions out of the air annually by reducing the number of cars on the road, she said. It is currently looking to make a 10-year agreement with energy developers to install solar panels on bus depot roofs to send power to the grid. A similar program already exists with panels on the roof of the Stillwood Avenue subway terminal that power the station. Saikia-Eapen also mentioned that the agency exceeded its 2010-2020 goal of reducing energy consumption of spaces greater than 20,000 square feet by 20%. Additionally, the MTA is currently researching biodiesel as a possible fuel source. Finally, the agency is committed to reporting emissions on an annual basis to the climate registry and to meeting the science-based targets of the Paris Climate Agreement.

Kerena Tayloe is the Director of Federal Legislative Affairs at WE ACT for Environmental Justice. During the roundtable, she expressed some of the concerns about TCI, including that many of these policies were created without input from environmental justice communities. Tayloe also criticized the Trump Administration’s rollbacks of CAFE standards. She opposes market-based approaches to reducing emissions, which she feels are ineffectual. She supports the adoption of electric buses, and mentioned that an increase in the price of gas would only increase the burden on already-burdened people.

Floyd Vergara is the leader of the West Coast Office for the National Biodiesel Board. He discussed the clean fuels standard, which he said decarbonizes the transportation fuel pool, improves air quality, reduces dependency on fossil-fuels, incentivizes investment in new industries, and creates jobs. The CFS incentivizes alternative fuels such as biodiesel, which has created an estimated 38,000 jobs. Vergara said that the CFS in California has not had an adverse impact on prices at the pump. He says we often focus on the magnitude of emission reductions but ignore how long it would take to achieve these goals. Biodiesel can be implemented right now since it is compatible with existing engines and would significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from trucks. Electrification makes sense for light-duty vehicles, but for heavy-duty vehicles, biofuels will play an important role, said Vergara.

We will continue to plan more in our forum series on implementing the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

On August 6th, 2020, the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund held a virtual forum on the role of energy transmission in New York’s plans to expand offshore wind power. The event was co-hosted with Anbaric Development Partners and the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School and sponsored by Con Edison. This forum was the first in NYLCVEF’s series focused on the implementation of New York’s Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The law requires New York to generate 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035. In response to its first round of solicitations, the state has already awarded projects that will total 1,700 megawatts. Announced just days before the forum, the state released a second solicitation for a record-setting 2,500 megawatts of additional offshore wind capacity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBPzDnhDdM

To get all of this power to land and to the people who need it, New York must upgrade significant portions of its energy infrastructure. The goal of the forum was to look at some of the key questions surrounding offshore transmission, including cost and environmental impacts.

The first part of the forum featured a presentation from The Brattle Group covering the findings from their study on different approaches to offshore energy transmission. The second part of the event featured a panel of experts to discuss their views on the report’s findings.

The report from The Brattle Group, which was commissioned by Anbaric, made the case that New York actually needs to generate more than its target of 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy to reach its overall carbon emissions reductions goals. They estimate that in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040, we need to generate between 14,000 and 24,000 megawatts of offshore wind capacity.

The Brattle Group’s presentation focused on two different approaches to offshore wind transmission: the radial approach and the planned approach. In a radial approach, each wind farm would use separate cables to connect their energy to the grid. A planned approach would involve connecting multiple wind farms to the same or to fewer cables. 

Cost, risk, and environmental and community impacts are all factors that experts and policy makers must consider when determining which approach to take. The Brattle Group’s report examined these factors. and as a result of their research, recommends a planned approach. According to the report, a planned approach is estimated to save $500 million in expenses compared to the radial approach. That is a conservative estimate, as competition for bids between corporations was not taken into account. Their view is that planned transmission makes better use of points of interconnection (POI) on transmission lines, essentially resulting in more efficiency. Using fewer cables by maximizing POI lowers the environmental impact and allows generated energy to be directed toward larger substations.

The report also found that there are issues with curtailment. While the goals to increase energy production are admirable, the existing energy grid is not able to handle such a large amount of power at this time and infrastructure upgrades are necessary.

The next part of the event focused on the panel Q&A. Moderator Joe Martens, Director of New York’s Offshore Wind Alliance, asked experts to discuss funding for energy upgrades. Who will be paying for this? The Brattle Group explained that New Yorkers would likely pay for these costs, but the amount and method of payment would differ between the two approaches. A planned grid would allow New York to recover the cost of transmission over a longer period, while a radial approach would cost less in the short term but would bring less benefit.

Panelists discussed Europe’s approach to offshore wind transmission. Europe is more advanced in their offshore wind development than the U.S. The Brattle Group discussed how many projects in Europe began with radial approaches but eventually moved toward a planned grid. The UK, Belgian, and German governments now use planned systems. 

Joe Martens then asked, “Where does the Department of Public Service stand on the two system choices?” Tammy Mitchell, Chief of Bulk Electric Systems at DPS, responded that given the ambitious energy goals in New York, there is a real need for a coordinated planning process related to transmission. Significant infrastructure is needed to connect these new energy sources to the grid, and DPS has commissioned a power grid study to identify where upgrades are needed.

Kirsty Townsend, Director and Head of Special Projects at Ørsted, an offshore wind company, added that for the Northeast, a shared system is necessary. Geographical and electric constraints have created concern about rushing into the build process and not learning from mistakes made in Europe. We should plan ahead and be ready for future offshore wind development with an upgraded system.

This forum made it clear that offshore wind development in New York State faces challenges in getting the energy generated offshore to land, on the grid, and to consumers. We likely need an all-of-the-above approach to ensure that the State implements a cost-effective and safe transmission plan.

NYCLVEF would like to thank our speakers, moderator, and sponsor for participating in this interesting conversation. You can watch a recording of the panel here. Stay tuned for more forums in our series on CLCPA implementation. 

On March 5th, 2020, the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, Sustainable Westchester, and Pace Energy & Climate Center co-hosted the Westchester Clean Energy Summit. The Summit focused on the future of clean energy in Westchester. Panelists from local and state government, academia, and business spoke about New York State’s new climate law—the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act (CLCPA)—and the opportunities that it presents to transition Westchester County to renewable energy sources. The event was divided into two parts: the first explained major components of the CLCPA, and the second focused on scalable solutions for powering homes and businesses using renewable energy across a diverse and densely populated county. 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeVc333IznMLt9Dyku85DXI85QiybZcR-

Part One

The first panel focused on the CLCPA, which was signed into law by Governor Cuomo in 2019. NYLCV President Julie Tighe moderated the panel. Kara Allen from New York’s Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) discussed the ambitious new climate legislation, which commits New York to net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Specifically, the law requires New York to reduce GHG emissions 40% from 1990 levels by 2030, and 85% by 2050. “Net-zero” allows emissions to be offset by other projects that remove GHG from the atmosphere. 

The CLCPA also creates the Climate Action Council, a body of 22 state leaders and appointees who are required to develop a scoping plan for how the state will achieve the mandates of the law. Kara Allen reported that on March 4th, the Climate Action Council had their first meeting. She emphasized the importance of stakeholders and local leaders participating in this process.

In addition to its ambitious renewable energy requirements, the CLCPA includes provisions for environmental justice communities. It sets a target for disadvantaged communities to receive up to 40% (and no less than 35%) of the benefits from the state’s climate programs. The law also creates a Climate Justice Working Group, which will be tasked with identifying criteria for what constitutes a disadvantaged community. Radina Valova from Pace Energy & Climate Center summarized these provisions and highlighted their importance.

Next, Anjali Sauthoff, an independent environmental health consultant, emphasized how health outcomes are influenced by environmental factors such as air pollution and heat. She suggested that New York’s climate policy should focus on environmental justice communities since they are often hit hardest by pollution and the impacts of climate change. 

Peter McCartt, Westchester County’s Director of Energy Conservation & Sustainability, highlighted local efforts to make operations more energy efficient. He acknowledged that large-scale renewable energy projects sited further upstate, hydroelectric power, and offshore wind could all help the county transition to cleaner energy. Continuing the conversation, Nancy Seligson, Mamaroneck Town Supervisor, discussed how she has led several projects in her town to improve the energy efficiency of public buildings. She also mentioned how important it is for local leaders to get involved in these issues and be vocal spokespeople to skeptical residents about the benefits of renewable energy.

Part Two 

The second panel, moderated by Pace Energy & Climate Center’s Craig Hart, focused on existing local programs that can be scaled up. Sustainable Westchester has helped the county establish itself as a leader in the state through various community solar and solarize programs. Nina Orville summarized Sustainable Westchester’s efforts to green the grid in Westchester and make clean energy solutions available and financially feasible for companies and residents. Michel Delafontaine, also from Sustainable Westchester, highlighted how much of the clean energy that Westchester needs will have to come from outside the county, through the Empire State Connector and other transmission upgrades. 

The next set of presenters focused on existing state programs that can help the county transition to renewables. Vennela Yadhati highlighted NYPA’s streamlined process for expanding community solar programs. Brad Tito from NYSERDA provided a snapshot of the county’s energy mix, and which municipalities are leading the way on clean energy by being certified Climate Smart Communities and Clean Energy Communities. Tito also focused on how to get more residents enrolled in community solar, and how municipalities can ensure that their residents are getting their energy from clean sources through community choice aggregation. NYSERDA’s Marilyn Dare also discussed how to use NYStretch energy codes to support improvements to the energy efficiency of buildings. 

Ryan Boniello, a developer in Westchester, discussed how his company has incorporated geothermal systems in its developments. Mark Brescia of ConEdison discussed how the company manages energy demand, and how residents can transform their homes to be more energy efficient through energy audit programs. Hart reviewed the benefits of Combined Heat and Power, an energy efficiency solution that uses a combined system to produce both heat and electricity. 

The Summit made it clear that there are many existing programs and opportunities for Westchester County to shift toward renewable energy. To scale them up, it is essential that communities and residents are aware of these programs and have access to these opportunities. 

NYLCVEF would like to thank our special guest speakers, State Senator Peter Harckham and Westchester County Legislator Nancy Barr, for participating in the event. We also extend thanks to our Summit sponsors: ConEdison, JetBlue, Direct Energy, and Constellation. The slideshow that was displayed at the forum can be viewed here.

On Monday, December 9th, the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (NYLCVEF) and Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) hosted an educational forum on coastal resiliency strategies. Our panel of experts discussed the benefits and challenges of implementing nature-based coastal management projects on Long Island. The panelists included Alison Branco from The Nature Conservancy, Kathleen Fallon from New York Sea Grant, Alexa Fournier from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Marian Russo from the Village of Patchogue, and Michael DeGiglio from Cameron Engineering. The panel discussion was moderated by Larry Swanson from SoMAS. The program featured special guest speaker Jack Schnirman, Nassau County Comptroller, who introduced the Resiliency Progress Tracker for Nassau County. 

The forum highlighted living shorelines as a nature-based solution to creating resilient coasts on Long Island. Living shorelines use natural items such as rock, vegetation, mollusks, and various natural structures to buffer storm surges. Living shoreline components are sometimes used in combination of “hardened” structures, such as bulkheads and concrete sea walls. Hardened structures alone can impede ecological processes near the shore, affecting marine wildlife and the progression of wetlands. Living shorelines transform overtime and create viable habitats for wildlife, while protecting coastal communities. 

The topic of coastal resiliency is very timely for the communities of Long Island. Over seven years ago, Superstorm Sandy demonstrated the damage a powerful storm could do to Long Island’s infrastructure and communities. In consideration of sea level rise, there is great urgency for coastal municipalities on Long Island to begin coastal resiliency initiatives. Our moderator, Larry Swanson from SoMAS, made this very clear in his opening remarks, sharing examples of what the counties of Long Island are already doing to increase resiliency outside of living shoreline projects. 

Our panel discussion began with emphasizing the importance of preserving natural spaces and coastal lands to increase resiliency from storm surges and sea level rise. Alison Branco from The Nature Conservancy explained that wetlands and marshes along the shoreline reduce wave height and energy, and therefore reduce the potential of waves to do damage. Branco also explained that wetlands naturally migrate and respond to sea level rise, usually moving inland. The issue then, is the presence of property and infrastructure. She recommends that if it’s possible and reasonable, to retreat from the coast and allow these natural habitats to adapt. 

Kathleen Fallon from New York Sea Grant expanded on the various shore types of Long Island and the types of natural shoreline strategies best suited for each type of coastal environment. For Long Island’s bays and tidal wetlands, which act as buffers to storm sturges, it’s best to implement wetland restoration and living shorelines to provide stabilization and risk reduction to communities. The natural structure of the wetlands will increase the ecological benefit to these habitats, as well. Sandy beaches, including barrier islands that protect the island from large waves, are very dynamic in that sand is constantly moving on, off, and along the shore. Bluffs face erosion due primarily to groundwater, runoff, and wave action. Both bluffs and sandy beaches can become more resilient with added vegetation, which bind sediments together and actually help to grow dunes and bluffs. 

When discussing living shorelines, it’s important to put this fairly new strategy into perspective and compare it to the traditional hardened strategies. Alison Branco explains that one strategy is not necessarily better than the other by default. The goals of a specific project, whether to reduce the risk of flooding from storms or from sea level rise, and the physics of the project area, will help determine the appropriate approaches to increasing resiliency. In addition, she had some recommendations for decision makers, including creating more robust programs to help people move away from flood zones if they’re at risk, putting up walls during storms which come down after the storm has passed, and rethinking zoning in order to protect and prevent the development of the natural shorelines that are still intact.

For those considering implementing living shorelines, DEC has created a Living Shorelines Guidelines document. Alexa Fournier, from DEC, shared an overview of the document, which serves as a resource for property owners and design professionals on permitting requirements and considerations. Before beginning a project, DEC requires a permit. Fournier advised that applicants first reach out and speak to people from different programs on the island, like the Peconic Estuary Program and NY Sea Grant to discuss some preliminary ideas. For municipalities, it’s recommended to look for grant opportunities to fund the project. During the application process, she recommends face-to-face meetings with DEC officials. 

Living shoreline projects are often complex and require professional environmental engineers and landscape architects to design a plan and implement it. Michael DeGiglio from Cameron Engineering shared what professionals take into consideration when planning coastal management projects for a given location, including erosion rates and wave energy. He shared that because living shoreline permits are relatively new and the process is not always straightforward, permitting will take longer than for traditional projects like seawalls and bulkheads. 

Marian Russo from the Village of Patchogue shared her experience with the living shoreline project that’s underway in her community. Russo shared the cost of some of the components for the project, including $200,000 for design and $1 million for construction. Her advice to other municipalities that are considering doing a living shoreline is to secure funding for the project by applying for grants that will cover the high costs for planning, implementation, and maintenance.

Kathleen Fallon wrapped up our panel discussion with options residents and homeowners can take for increasing resiliency. She clarified that there is always some risk when living on the waterfront, but there are ways to reduce one’s risk for flooding:

• Do nothing if erosion is minimal and the property has natural protective features
• Conserve the sand dunes and wetlands in between the property and shoreline by preventing destruction of habitats or planting coastal species
• Raising the property to allow water to move under
• Relocating out of the flood area altogether 

Each option is outlined in this NY Sea Grant document about flood risk reduction. 

You can watch the full program on our Youtube channel. Stay tuned for NYLCVEF’s continued work on resiliency.

Thank you to our sponsor, ROUX, and to Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences for hosting this event.