listen to audio recording of the morning session for Transportation Panel and Land Use and Local Government Panel
Notes are incomplete and may be inaccurate. Time is noted. Please refer to Climate Action Council Website for meeting notes and slide deck
9:10AM first utility scale solar project begins construction – announcement from Earth Week.
? what is this project
65 meetings CAC and Advisory Panel
Public comments send to:
climateact@dec.ny.gov
7:15
Presentation then 1 hour of discussion
Transportation
12 open meetings
2 meetings permit public comment
9:39 AM Third Big Bucket slide 21
7:45 public comment
Dennis Elsenbeck – economic development should be involved it is absent from report. Manufacturing sector is gaining jobs and profit – those jobs are in other countries. Are we creating jobs?
9:54Am Raya Salater Will recommendations include metrics? Climate Justice working group. How is money being distributed to LMI communities?
9:58 Anne Renyolds – Money. She sat on 2004, 2010 and current energy plan. What is dedicated source of revenue to pay for this? Without dedicated source then ideas do not come to fruition.
10:03 Doreen Harris – says later in meeting she will discuss how this is being paid for.
10:04 Bob Howarth – Has panel considered how to more aggressively reduce greenhouse gas? Some biofuels will not be covered. Request clear guidance for biofuels.
10:10 Donna DeCarolis – integration analysis
10:15 Gavin Donohue – Infrastructure and reliable grid? How to manage grid with new demand? Jared Snyder responds. Doreen Harris mentions the Power Grid Study issued in 2021.
*** 10:19 Peter Iwanowicz – Are farm vehicles zeroed out? Whats in 33% not covered by 2050? Multistate MOU signed in 2013 to increase EV by 850,000 to meet CA standard that NYS also adopted is this still in effect? Did panel consult with local governments – who are they? Land Use panel has no representation from local government on it. What are actual emission reductions in the disadvantaged communities? Trickle down effect is not sufficient. What are EV role in energy storage will they power back to the grid? How is this being funded? Go to front line communities and ask how they want emission reductions and funding raised and money spent? CCIA.
10:38 Anne Reynolds recommendations may fall short (slide15)?
As we move forward technology advances.
10:40 Paul Shepson Are specific investments being used for climate resistance matters – Sandy impact on transportation.
10:44 Raya Salter speaks a second time.
10:45pm Land Use and Local Government Sarah Crowell
10:48 round tables and who was on panels and out reach to local governments
8 meetings, 2 round tables, a public engagement sessions. Chat, emails and a public comment meeting.
100 written comments received
10:52 themes – reduce VMT, maximize carbon sequestration, responsible siting, provide local governments tools, commit to environmental justice
Smart growth – Brownfields, strengthen local and county land use growth, Genesee County and Tompkins County shows growth proposals.
10:55 TOD growth,
10:59 VMT
11:01 Carbon Sequestration – forest and wetlands
11:02 Key Strategies for carbon sequestration – maps and tools should be publicly available
11:05 Local Government siting, planning support, model local laws,
11:09 Local Leadership , Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing. NY Stretch Energy Code
11:10 Key Strategies
11:12 Benefits and Impacts. Disadvantaged communities benefit from TOD, greater access to natural environment, revitalize brownfield,
11:14 Public Health Improvements
11:16 Just transition –
11:18 Paul Shepson – Statewide dashboard to measure progress. Where we are and where are going. Importance of incorporating statewide greenhouse gas emissions inventory is this going to be monitoring on the dashboard? Inventories can be wrong. Brad Tito replies – account working group needs to be appointed. Vague.
11:23 Raya Enthusiasm most important panel. Tech problem
11:24 Bob Howarth A lot of material was presented, will the panel present specific recommendations. Dashboard is important for villages and towns to view accounting and it should be in alignment with DEC. Tompkins County and City of Ithaca. Methane is statewide. Blue Carbon Bob has a PhD on carbon in salt marshes – wetlands are not important for NY contact. Does the panel have a process for developing priorities.
11:32 Raya Salter fixes tech problem. What is role of schools in getting data, planning and research done? Knit together policy of state with local law? Disproportionate burden upon disadvantaged communities.
11:38 Dennis Elsenbeck DPS connection? Opportunity with governance. Infill development. Connect with lack of infrastructure, aged infrastructure, Where does definition of resiliency belong? Put technology at point of use. Building codes are outdates. Fire Marshall and update building code with what needs to happen. Short term jobs v long term jobs. Will jobs be on dashboard?
11:48 Rose Harvey How can schools help at a local level? Local municipalities don’t have time or resources. Modernize building codes.
11:55 Anne Renyolds Are there any mandates or only recommendations? Difficult to mandate because local governments.
11:58 Peter Iwanowicz Issue of land use and sequestration – as protection of open space or as offset? Just Transition – community based organizations were they considered? Sunset Park UpRose, Alpoint, Brox, Push Buffalo. Think of financing are there outright grants available for local governments. 4. State Energy Code does state have authority. 5. Intersection of state land use now to prevent digging hole deeper? Gasoline, LUST,
Sarah – Sequestration not considered as an offset. Community based organizations.
12:07 John Howard Recommendations are in conflict with state legislature and home rule. Incentive based decision making.
listen to afternoon session Housing and Energy Efficiency Panel and Power Generation Panel
41 participants on call – only lists members not public – same eight people comment no one else.
1:00PM Ruthanne Visnauskas Energy Efficiency and Housing Advisory Panel
1:11 Janet Joseph continues presentation. State needs to legislate codes and regulatory standards. Statewide code for housing construction to raise the bar.
Slick and fast. Look at slide deck
1:46PM Bob Howarth Transportation has do do better. Housing is very important. Did not address renters – many upstate family homes are rentals. Recommendations and LMI includes renters.
1:48PM Paul Shepson If we follow transportation and housing panels then we will not make the CAC goals by 2030.
1:54PM Gavin Donahue Listens to Power Generation Panel – Void of what will move grid forward. How to transition away from natural gas heating. Janet Jospeh speaks about heat pumps in NY climate and how the products have improved. Scale of regulatory actions will drive adaptation. What is consumer cost – he is disappoint that this is not addressed. Ruthanne says it was discussed, complex. Janet Joseph explains further.
2:04 Donna DeCarolis – Costly changes for conversion to all electricity when we are not positive that it will reduce emissions. Resiliency of the grid powered by renewable energy.
2:15PM Raya Salter Bold code recommendations, consumer protection, Thoughtful smart and comprehensive set of recommendations
2:18 Dennis Elsenbeck finding manufacturing job opportunities and build in rust belt communities. He asks about financial incentives. Is it just incentives and grants?
2:22 Peter Iwanowicz
2:28 Rose Harvey tax credit
2:30 Sarah Osgood presents Power Generation
Five public input sessions
2:34 same slide as used February 2021 by John Rhodes Principals
Clean Energy Standard already done by State
2:36 Recommendations – Deployment of resources
Clean Energy Siting and Community Benefits
2:40 Existing Storage Technologies higher storage than identified in Power Grid Report
2:42 Reliability, access and workforce Devlopment slide 103
2:49 Nuclear is addressed maybe slide 105 did not screen capture
2:52 Storage
2:53PM Transition Away from FF and retirement of facilities. Slide 107
3:03 PM Questions John Howard thanks Sarah
3:05 Gavin Donohue – overall a great job, but some issues. Robust public participation is needed. Also PSC, DEC, ect involvement. Dispatchable generation is needed – future technologies NYS needs to focus on this so we remain on primary objective of reliability. Consider carbon sequestration at all? Sarah says it was discussed.
2:10PM Dennis Elsbeck What are priorities? 9,000MW of offshore wind what is cost 10M/MW?Wind may be 45Billion dollars to conquer 45% of greenhouse gases. What are the priorities.? Responsive demand on battery energy storage 0- supply side is grid side. What wis focus on point of use side? Are we moving more towards on site storage. Sarah responds – how is this balanced? Massive changes to life as we know it. Wont happen over night. Dennis point is why not forecast use and cost instead of coming up with demand side solutions.
2:17 Doreen Harris 50Billion(?) a year is already spent so how to redirect funds to renewable energy.
2:18 Bob Howarth – Storage – thermal storage considered? Off shore wind are we thinking about Lake Ontario and Erie. Sarahs response sees opportunities here handful of public comments received against wind on lakes. Panel did request study on storage and clean energy on great lakes. NYSERDA also conducting a study on great lakes. DEC reducing our emissions and interacting with PA on methane. Moratorium does it include non-grid players?
3:28 Doreen Harris – Fall 2020 Wind study Great Lakes underway NYSERDA
Raya Salter Affordability HEAP is insufficient. It is a drop in the bucket. Energy Affordability Program also available 6% towards utility bills.
3:35Pm Donna DeCarolis Benefits of leveraging gas systems and resilience and how is Panels plan to remove gas. Gas is a 16Billion dollar asset. Sarah responds Its in the law so we need to.
2:42 Gil Quiniones comments PEAK Coalition agreement by 2035 – five years before the law. NYC is load pocket – not enough transmission lines going to city. Generation within the city. “Black Start”
2:47PM Peter Iwanowicz Benefits Cost Analysis. Benefits occur in lower health bills, insurance bills, ect. Data Energy Plan – spend 25Billion in transportation to move goods. Lose to out of state FF. How to keep money instate. Pricing strategies are economy wide.
3:52 Sarah Osgood – not a clear answer on what are next steps. Funds blowing out of state for energy. We do need to figure out what are costs. But cost should not prohibit moving forward.
How to bring everyone along with us? Peter says internal combustion engine is 70% inefficient.
3:58 Doreen Harris closes the meeting.
What’s next – document summary of recommendations. Should be available in a week or so.
Next meeting should be June 8, 2021 – climate Justice working group feed back.