As Gov Hochul Leaves NYers to Fend For Themselves In Heat Wave, Electeds & Residents Demand NY HEAT Act NOW

BROOKLYN, NY (07/11/2024) (readMedia)-- Today, as New Yorkers continue to seek refuge from yet another heat wave, impacted residents, advocates and lawmakers rallied in Brooklyn – the borough with the highest number of heat-related deaths – to demand that Governor Hochul step up to address climate change-driven extreme heat and the lack of affordable cooling by passing the NY HEAT Act. Lawmakers were close to passing the bill, which would help fight climate change and make energy more affordable, before the Governor effectively derailed negotiations during the final days of the 2024 legislative session.

Watch a recording of the event here.

"As New York faces heat wave after heat wave, it becomes more apparent why we must pass the NY HEAT Act. This bill will reduce our carbon footprint, save millions of vulnerable New Yorkers money by capping their utility bills, and allow New York State to transition away from fossil fuels. A new report suggests that New York's clean energy future is already at risk, given that we are projected to miss our 2030 climate goals by three years. The time for half measures is over. Thanks to Assemblymember Fahy and the advocates for centering the full investment in climate protection," said Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon.

"I'm a disabled senior on a fixed income. Like many New Yorkers, I can't afford to run an air conditioner - which means I'm forced to trek across the city from cooling center to cooling center every day just to survive this extreme heat. Governor Hochul has done nothing to help, besides telling people like me to 'stay cool.' I don't need Governor Hochul to tell me it's hot outside. I need her to take action to fight climate change and make our energy bills affordable. Governor Hochul, pass the NY HEAT Act NOW!," said Mone Choy, a member of WE ACT for Environmental Justice who was featured in an ad campaign urging lawmakers to pass the NY HEAT Act.

"Governor Hochul is failing on climate - and New Yorkers know it. From killing negotiations on climate bills to stopping congestion pricing, and now entertaining pushing legally enshrined emissions goalposts back, our Governor needs to get back on track. Hochul can't hide from her abysmal record, especially not during a summer of deadly heat. What she can do is pass the NY HEAT Act NOW to move off climate-killing fossil fuels and help New Yorkers afford life saving electricity during extreme weather - Hochul needs to get it done," said Laura Shindell, NY State Director at Food & Water Watch.

"This week's brutal heat wave again illustrates it is well past time for Governor Hochul and the New York State Assembly to deliver New Yorkers clean and affordable cooling and heating by passing the NY HEAT Act. We need New York's legislative leadership, from Governor Hochul to Speaker Heastie, to make it possible for a rapid, neighborhood-scale transition to zero-emission, energy-efficient clean cooling and heating to protect New Yorkers from heat today and from unmanageable energy costs down the road," said Allison Considine, New York Senior Campaigns & Communications Manager at the Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC).

"NY HEAT is a clear win in so many ways - It would amend laws that keep us stuck on the fracked gas that's accelerating the climate crisis. It caps low income New Yorkers' energy bills, to ensure that energy is affordable. It will stop gas utilities from expanding the fracked gas system, and stop ratepayers from having to fund it from our own pockets.We need Governor Hochul to stop failing New Yorkers on climate and energy affordability and get NY HEAT done now," said Avni Pravin, Deputy Director at Alliance for a Green Economy.

"The NY HEAT Act would save 1 in every 4 households about $140 a month. In months like this, where families with elderly and children require near-24/7 air conditioning to ensure bearable indoor temperatures, these savings could ensure NYers don't have to ration food or medicine to beat the heat. Why must NY suffer from the 11th-hour about-faces of Governor Hochul? How many more summers, winters, and disasters must we bear before this state takes action? For us to pass NY HEAT!? It's high time Governor Hochul pass the NY HEAT Act, sign the Climate Superfund Act, and put our generation's future over corporate donors," said Michael Magazine, a youth activist Fridays For Future NYC.

"Governor Hochul's failure to pass the NY HEAT Act, coupled with her hollow advice to 'stay cool' during this extreme heat wave, demonstrates a lack of leadership and commitment to addressing the climate crisis. As New Yorkers struggle with rising temperatures and soaring energy bills, the Governor's inaction is only exacerbating the problem. It's time for Hochul to stand up to the fossil fuel industry, pass the NY HEAT Act, and protect the health and well-being of all New Yorkers," said Kim Fraczek, Director of Sane Energy Project.

According to a recent report from the New York City Health Department, on average, an estimated 350 New York City residents die from extreme heat every year. The report found that lack of access to home air conditioning is the single most important factor for deaths caused by extreme heat - which is particularly concerning for many New Yorkers who struggle to keep up with their energy bills. The report also found that heat-related death rates are higher in poorer neighborhoods, which are already disproportionately impacted by extreme weather, and that age-adjusted death rates are highest in Brooklyn. The frequency, length, and severity of heat waves are all expected to increase as fossil-fueled climate change worsens.

Amid a series of extreme heat waves, Governor Hochul has refused to take substantive action to fight climate change or help families who can't afford to stay cool in their own homes. Instead, she has left New Yorkers to fend for themselves and offered little more than thoughts and prayers on social media to those suffering from extreme weather.

Last week, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) issued a report that suggested New York is expected to miss its 2030 climate goals by more than three years. According to POLITICO, rather than redouble efforts to meet the State's obligations, the State's Public Service Commission is now considering moving the goalposts to buy the Governor more time that everyday New Yorkers don't have.

Background

The NY HEAT Act will help carry out the intentions of New York's Climate Law, stopping the expansion of New York's outdated and dangerous fracked gas system. The bill gets rid of the 100-foot rule, which forces New York families to pay $200 million every year to subsidize new gas hookups, and amends the obligation to serve fracked gas.

The bill would also allow utilities to provide cheaper and clean heating alternatives to customers - a win-win for New Yorkers and the environment. According to a statewide report from WIN Climate and NY Renews, the NY HEAT Act would save the 25% of all households that struggle to afford their energy bills an average of $136 each month-cutting bills nearly in half.