Al Gore gives a thumbs-up as Gov. Cuomo signs climate law labeled New York's Green New Deal
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Climate news has been mighty grim for the past few years. But Thursday there was some excellent news from the Empire State. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the aggressive Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, calling his decision “the mosAl Gore gives a thumbs-up as Gov. Cuomo signs climate law labeled New York's Green New Deal
Climate news has been mighty grim for the past few years. But Thursday there was some excellent news from the Empire State. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the aggressive Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, calling his decision “the most consequential of my administration.” Late last month, the Democrat-controlled New York legislature passed the bill, known widely as the state’s Green New Deal, which is designed to slash greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the replacement of fossil fuel power plants with renewable sources. A 22-member Climate Action Council will be established and spend the next three years developing a «scoping plan» to recommend regulations, incentives, and other measures to meet the law’s mandates. One of the council’s objectives will be to integrate and expand the state’s existing climate and clean energy programs. Former Vice President Al Gore was on hand for the signing, calling it “the most ambitious, the most well-crafted legislation in the country." Cuomo had previously labeled the bill a “political placebo” with unrealistic goals. But, after four years failing to get the bill passed through a legislature in which a gang of eight renegade Democrats in the state Senate had enabled Republicans, grassroots activism coordinated by New York Renews—a 180-member coalition of environmental and other groups—finally succeeded in seeing a bill pass as a result of tossing six of those Democrats out during the 2018 primaries. But ultimately, passage required Cuomo to present his own, weaker bill. While the law puts New York ahead of the other 49 states in mandating renewables, it follows in the footsteps of eight pioneers that pushed aggressive moves to curb emissions and spread renewables—California, Colorado, Hawai’i, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington. Seven of those states have called for 100% clean energy in the next few decades, but New York will get there first if the mandates in its law are attained. The New York plan exceeds the goals of other states by calling for 70% renewables by 2030, decarbonization of the state’s electricity system by 2040, and decarbonization of the state’s whole economy—or close to it—by 2050. Last year, renewables provided 26.4% of New York’s electricity. In addition, the law mandates slashing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions to 85% below 1990 levels by 2050. The other 15% will be dealt with by planting trees and sequestering carbon underground. Read more