New York Finalizes Climate Action Council Scoping Plan

Source: NYSERDA

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) President and CEO, Doreen M. Harris, and Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner, Basil Seggos, as co-chairs of the state’s Climate Action Council, announced approval and adoption of the New York State Climate Action Council Scoping Plan on December 19, 2022. The plan, which will be submitted to the Governor and State Legislature, recommends policies and actions to meet goals and requirements of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. The Scoping Plan’s recommendations will provide the foundation to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, drive critical building and transportation electrification, secure climate justice, and advance the State’s commitment to economywide carbon neutrality by 2050 consistent with interim and long-term directives established in the Climate Act. The Plan outlines actions needed for New York to achieve 70 percent renewable energy by 2030; 100 percent zero-emission electricity by 2040; a 40-percent reduction in statewide greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2030, an 85-percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2050; and net-zero emissions statewide by 2050. It also identifies a variety of regulatory and legal changes, market mechanisms, and technologies essential to achieving these directives.