New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
New York State leads the way in promoting renewable energy
20/4/2022
6 min read
Feature
Since its establishment in 1975, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has emerged as a very active champion of green energy initiatives across New York State – and is now widely regarded as a nationwide example of best practice. Abigail Williams investigates what factors have made this 'public-benefit corporation' so active and successful in designing and implementing sustainable energy initiatives – and what is unique about its approach and organisation.
NYSERDA promotes energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources in an effort to develop a less polluting and more reliable and affordable energy system for New Yorkers. In doing so, it enters into partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders, including residents, government representatives at all levels, industry, non-profits and community groups throughout New York to develop, invest and foster the conditions that attract private sector capital investment to New York State, overcome barriers to using clean energy at a large-scale, and enable communities and residents to benefit from energy efficiency and renewable energy.
As Doreen Harris, President and CEO at NYSERDA, explains, the group’s work is guided by the ‘most aggressive climate and clean energy mandate in the US’, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act – which sets out legally binding goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by mid-century and for a 100% zero-emission electricity sector by 2040.
‘At the end of last year, the Climate Action Council, which I co-chair alongside the New York State Department of Conversation Commissioner Basil Seggos, issued a Draft Scoping Plan providing several scenarios that identify the suite of actions that will help New York meets its ambitious climate directive under the legislation,’ says Harris.