Environmental Advocates Relaunch Campaign to Pass NY HEAT Act

A coalition of nearly 250 environmental and community groups released a letter last week calling on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to cap low-income residents’ energy bills.The letter also asks the state to reduce fossil fuel use by ending a policy that requires ratepayers to subsidize the cost for gas companies to expand gas pipelines.Those were both elements of a previous piece of legislation called the New York HEAT Act. Parts of the bill received support from Hochul and the state Legislature during the last legislative session, but it ultimately failed to pass.The HEAT Act is meant to encourage utilities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change. It would also cap the cost of energy bills at 6% of household income for low-income New Yorkers.Some lawmakers have said that Hochul’s last minute decision to cancel congestion pricing, which would have charged fees to vehicles entering certain parts of Manhattan, derailed negotiations over the bill earlier this year.The letter asks Hochul to ensure that the HEAT Act passes next year. It also asks her to prioritize reducing New York’s dependence on fossil fuels and to meet the commitments laid out in the state’s climate law.“We write to express our frustration with ever-rising energy costs driven by irresponsible fossil fuel infrastructure spending,” the letter reads, which is addressed directly to Hochul. “We urge you, therefore, to take immediate action to protect struggling families and businesses by ending wasteful spending on fracked gas pipelines and instead make smart investments in building decarbonization.”The state’s climate law, which passed in 2019, requires New York to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030. Recent reports have found the state is behind on meeting that target.