Under Extreme #HeatDomeHochul, Lawmakers Push NY HEAT Act After Governor Killed Potential Deal

ALBANY, NY (06/21/2024) (readMedia)-- Yesterday, POLITICO reported that state lawmakers had reached a potential compromise to pass the NY HEAT Act, which ultimately failed after Governor Hochul's eleventh-hour decision to abandon congestion pricing killed legislative negotiations. Now, as New Yorkers suffocate under #HeatDomeHochul, lawmakers and advocates are demanding that Governor Hochul prioritize our climate and stand up for the NY HEAT Act, the landmark climate bill which would help reduce New York's greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.

According to a draft bill obtained by POLITICO, the compromise would have included major tenets of the NY HEAT act, including:

• Requiring the Department of Public Service to develop a gas transition plan within four years and end the "obligation to serve" fracked gas to households across the state
• Getting rid of the infamous "100-foot rule," which forces customers to subsidize new gas hookups for other households
• Providing "labor provisions including prevailing wage requirements for neighborhood-scale decarbonization projects"

"The Governor's reckless congestion pricing reversal was a crucial blow to the NY HEAT Act, which was so close to passing before lawmakers left Albany. Now, with a potential agreement in place, we're keeping up the pressure to make this landmark climate bill a reality. As families across the state suffer from deadly heat and soaring, unaffordable energy costs, it's never been more clear that we need the NY HEAT Act now! Governor Hochul and state lawmakers must do their jobs and come back to the table to get the NY HEAT Act done," said Liz Moran, New York Policy Advocate at Earthjustice.

"It is officially summer and New York has already spent the week in the throes of a major heat wave, emblematic of the climate catastrophe we are facing," said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF - Manhattan), Chair of the Assembly on Housing. "We know passage of the NY HEAT Act is critical to protecting our climate and shielding consumers from massive spikes in their energy bills, but it is still not enshrined in law. With each passing day, our climate crisis worsens and utility bills continue to increase. The urgency of passing the NY HEAT Act cannot be overstated. Our planet can't wait."

"The NY HEAT Act is a critical climate bill for my constituents. Unfortunately, the last days of the legislative session were derailed by Governor Hochul's cancellation of congestion pricing, and we were not able to pass it. Now, the heat dome suffocating New Yorkers across the state makes it painfully clear how much our lives and livelihoods are impacted by climate change and the unaffordable cost of staying safe and. The need to pass NY HEAT is clearer than ever. Governor Hochul must step up, and we must pass NY HEAT now!" said Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest.

"In 2019 we passed the most ambitious climate law in the country in acknowledgment that the severity of climate change requires aggressive action if we are to prevent the worst of the climate change impacts. This law required that we establish a climate action council tasked with creating a roadmap to meet our climate goals. We did that, and we have a roadmap in front of us, and the NY HEAT Act is a core part of that plan. We woke up this morning to a continued heat dome suffocating New Yorkers across the state making it painfully clear, once again, that we have run out of time to slow walk solutions. It is unfortunate that the focus at the end of session was diverted to solving the financial gap left by halting congestion pricing. We need the legislature and the governor to come back together and pass critical climate change legislation like NY HEAT if we are going to have any chance of staying on track to meet our climate goals laid out in our 2019 law," said Assemblymember Anna Kelles.

"As a champion of the NY HEAT ACT since Day 1, I believe that passing the NY HEAT Act is not just about fighting climate change; it is about empowering residents to take control of their energy bills. And look how essential the NY HEAT Act would be, given that at the beginning of summer we have encountered our first heat wave without prioritizing our constituents to make energy more affordable. By prioritizing energy affordability and sustainability, lawmakers, like me, can pave the way for a future where New Yorkers can save on their monthly utility expenses while collectively combating climate change. I hope that one day my colleagues can see how beneficial this bill can be for all New Yorkers," said Assemblywoman Taylor Darling.

"The heat dome this summer, along with last summer's extreme weather, illustrates that we must do everything we can to mitigate climate change. Key to this effort is phasing out natural gas infrastructure to make way for more sustainable utilities. In addition to doing this, NY HEAT will cap low-to-middle-income NY residents' energy costs at 6% of their total income. NY HEAT is a win for the environment and a win for New Yorkers. It is imperative that this critical piece of legislation is passed next session," said Assembly Member Harvey Epstein.

"New York City is melting under the intensity of the heat dome, and as time goes on emergencies like this one will only become more frequent. We are in a climate crisis. New York should be leading the country on policies that recognize the urgency of the moment we're in. We can take action on global warming now by passing historic legislation like the NY HEAT Act, and follow it up by implementing congestion pricing. The best time to do it is yesterday, and the second best time is today. So let's do it now!" said Assemblymember Tony Simone.

This week, a new Siena poll found that by a 58% - 26% margin, New Yorkers agree that the legislature should have passed the NY HEAT Act this session. The bill was popular across party lines, with 67% of Democrats, 47% of Republicans, and 55% of Independents agreeing it should have passed. It was also popular with 60% of upstate voters, 55% of union households, and across all income groups. 74% of Black voters and 70% of Latino voters also supported the NY HEAT Act.

Background

Last week, Senator Liz Krueger, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee and Senate sponsor of the NY HEAT Act, told New York Magazine that Gov. Hochul's congestion pricing decision killed the nearly-finished negotiations on the NY HEAT Act between the Senate, Assembly and Executive. In response, a coalition of environmental organizations including WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Earthjustice, and the Alliance for a Green Economy (AGREE) called for Albany lawmakers to return for a special climate session and pass the NY HEAT Act.

Despite lawmakers' failure to pass the bill, the NY HEAT Act has support across the legislature. Governor Hochul embraced key parts of the NY HEAT Act in her Executive Budget proposal, the Senate passed the bill twice, and the bill has support from a majority of Assemblymembers.

The Home Energy Affordable Transition Act, also known as the NY HEAT Act, will stop 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 allow utilities to provide cheaper and clean heating alternatives at no additional cost to customers – a win-win for New Yorkers and the environment.