ALBANY, New York, March 18, 2025 (ENS) – It was more than two months ago, on January 14, during the last week of President Joe Biden’s administration, when New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced plans to invest more than US$1 billion to address the climate crisis and achieve a more sustainable and affordable future as part of her 2025 State of the State address.
Today, two months into the second term of President Donald Trump, this ambitious proposal appears even greater in comparison to the drastic environmental rollbacks Trump and his cabinet have imposed.
The billion dollars will be the single largest climate investment in New York State history, expected to generate thousands of jobs, slash energy bills for households, and cut harmful emissions. The announcement demonstrates New York State’s continued commitment to deploying renewable energy, advancing clean transportation and building decarbonization, and the exploration of emerging technologies that can support decarbonization goals and economic development.
“Today, we take a monumental step towards a greener, more affordable future for New York State,” Governor Hochul said, announcing the funding. “This historic $1 billion climate investment is not just a commitment to sustainable energy, it is a commitment to New Yorkers – creating thousands of jobs, cutting energy costs, and reducing harmful pollution. Together we are driving forward with innovative technologies to achieve our decarbonization goals while ensuring economic growth.”
With 2024 recording the hottest year in history, Governor Hochul knows addressing climate change is both a moral imperative and an enormous economic opportunity. Her 2025 State of the State tackled climate change head-on through record investments, a commitment to exploring nuclear energy technologies, and efforts to decarbonize state agencies and college campuses.
Giving Climate Ambition a Green Light
Governor Hochul’s investment will span across different sectors of the economy and across New York by:
- Retrofitting homes and incentivizing the installation of heat pumps.
- Ensuring public infrastructure can serve as hubs of sustainability, including building out thermal energy networks at State University of New York campuses that can model a pathway towards the next generation of energy infrastructure.
- Expanding green transportation options across the state and supporting businesses of all sizes in their decarbonization journey.
Additionally, over the coming months, the Department of Environmental Conservation and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, NYSERDA, will continue their work as New York progresses implementation of the cap-and-invest program including proposing new reporting regulations to gather information on emissions sources.
This work is expected to create more space and time for enhanced engagement and public input as work also continues on other implementing regulations and the program’s investment plan.
NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen Harris said, “Governor Hochul has remained resolute in her commitment to New York’s clean energy transition and this significant climate investment demonstrates how she continues to put New Yorkers first to ensure that we all benefit from a more sustainable future.”
Governor Hochul will direct state agencies and the New York Power Authority to enter into contracts that aim to achieve 100 percent renewable energy for state agencies by 2030, in line with Executive Order 22. These contracts will result in at least 500MW of renewable energy while creating clean energy development, 9,000 union jobs, and reduced emissions.
Advancing a Nuclear Master Plan
Governor Hochul’s 2025 State of the State includes the creation of a Master Plan for Responsible Advanced Nuclear Development in New York. To guide next steps in the Master Plan process, NYSERDA published a Blueprint for Consideration of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technologies.
The Blueprint considers feedback from public comments on a draft released at the Future Energy Economy Summit in September 2024 to ensure it provides a comprehensive overview of issues to be considered throughout the Master Plan process.
New York State will also co-lead a multi-state initiative facilitated by the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear on advanced nuclear energy, and support the company Constellation in its pursuit of federal planning grant funding that supports exploring the addition of one or more new advanced nuclear reactors at its Nine Mile Point site in Oswego County.
In November 2024, NYSERDA released a Request for Information to gauge community interest in activities to develop advanced nuclear energy technologies in New York State. The request focuses on communities in the area of New York State north and west of the Lower Hudson Valley.
Decarbonizing State U. and City U. Campuses
Recognizing the critical role of New York’s higher education institutions in achieving the state’s climate goals, Governor Hochul plans to decarbonize campuses across the SUNY and CUNY systems. Leveraging investments from the Environmental Bond Act, Governor Hochul will direct SUNY and CUNY to begin electrifying campuses and integrating renewable energy technologies.
This effort will include the adoption of advanced thermal energy networks and other transformative clean energy systems to reduce emissions, enhance campus sustainability, and create healthier, more resilient learning environments for students, faculty, and staff.
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “SUNY operates 40 percent of New York State’s buildings, and making our campuses more sustainable is vital to meeting New York State’s climate action goals. From electric vehicle chargers to on-site renewable power generation, Governor Hochul’s plan to decarbonize our colleges and universities will both lessen our energy usage and our reliance on fossil fuels, which is a tremendous win for our state and our nation.”
CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez praised the campus decarbonization funding, saying, “Governor Hochul rightly recognizes the potential for CUNY’s 25 campuses to be key contributors in the effort to decarbonize New York City and State. This crucial work will curb our consumption of fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions by modernizing infrastructure across CUNY campuses. The effort will make these facilities healthier places in which to learn and work, benefiting hundreds of thousands of faculty members, students and staff and many more who live in the surrounding neighborhoods.”
Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar supports the new investments, explaining, “Governor Hochul’s State of the State initiatives and investments recognize that supporting climate action, clean energy, and a greener economy will significantly strengthen environmental protections and create good-paying jobs that help all New Yorkers.
Featured image: New York Governor Kathy Hochul delivers her 2025 State of the State address, January 14, 2025, Albany, New York (Photo courtesy Office of the Governor)
