New York State has finally ordered our utilities to develop plans to reduce fracked gas (methane) used for heating and cooking and to find alternatives to fossil fuels in order to comply with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
This proceeding is a direct result of the grassroots organizing by countless individuals and organizations over the past several years. For everyone who has maintained the drumbeat that (despite a ban on fracking) NY is still getting fracked, for everyone who has called the Governor, stood in the street, signed a petition to stop gas build-out, or fought to see heat-pumps instead of pipelines… This is a result of YOUR EFFORTS.
The State has heard us and is responding. The Public Service Commission, the agency that regulates the utilities, has started a new case on gas planning (20-G-0131) and is taking comments. Here is what the proceeding is about, in the words of the Public Service Commission Order:
Gas utilities need to … adopt improved planning and operational practices that enable them to meet current customer needs and expectations in a transparent and equitable way while minimizing infrastructure investments and maintaining safe and reliable service. Additionally, planning must be conducted in a manner consistent with the recently enacted Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). (emphasis added) Case #20-G-0131 Order initiating proceeding, p. 1-2.
We have a lot of work to do to make sure this case goes our way. The gas industry will have a strong influence on this process and the language establishing the proceeding leaves room for fossil-fuel solutions like trucked-in gas and even more pipelines.
What you can do to help:
- Submit a comment today to the Public Service Commission telling them to stop the gas infrastructure buildout and help with the conversion to renewable heat now. The Commission’s staff will soon release a detailed proposal for a new gas planning policy. This will determine the future of heat in New York. We need your action to make sure the future of heat is renewable energy, not more gas pipelines. We need your voice now to help hold the utilities accountable for reducing reliance on global-warming, health-and-environment-destroying fracked gas and moving toward renewable heat – NOW!
- Share this message with your networks!
Thanks to Irene Weiser at Renewable Heat Now for sharing this message with us! Check out this statement from Renewable Heat Now for more info 🙂
