Cap and invest will help the Bronx with energy
This year, New Yorkers have known one of the coldest winters in recent history, and if last summer is an indicator, we are about to participate in a record heat season. For many residents of the Bronx, extreme weather conditions mean extremely high public service bills while people increase the heat of their homes or air conditioning. Like many households in our district face the increase in life costs due to inflation and prices, New York needs a solution now.
About 1 in 3 (34%) residents of the Bronx have a high energy burden: They pay more than 6% of their annual income on electricity, natural gas and fossil fuels. The key to fighting the crisis of energy affordability in the Bronx and New York lies in the state ceiling and investment program, proposed by Governor Hochul in 2023 as a way to do the promises of New York State Plan of climate leadership and communities protection (CLCPA).
The 2019 climate law, which aims to considerably reduce global warming emissions by 2030, has been adopted at a time when, similar to now, the Trump administration helped energy and public services to earn money from fossil fuels while people were blocked with increasing energy bills and air pollution.
Today, the administration deepens not only our dependence on the volatile energy of fossil fuels, but also of the attack programs that help people pay their public services,, Sesemine their housesAnd Receive tax discounts for effective heating and cooling equipment.
New York has a gold opportunity in the cap–And an investment program to help Trump resistances the state and ensure that residents have access to pure air and affordable energy for the years to come.
The program would oblige pollutors to companies to pay their pollution of fossil fuels, then to invest the product in energy efficiency and to build improvements for residents, with at least 35% of these investments going to historically marginalized and disadvantaged communities, including many Bronx districts.
This works by obliging polluters to companies to buy permits for the amount of toxins they release in the air, and the money of these permits then returns to New York communities through retrofits at home, energy efficiency, etc. Think that we have allowed corporate polluters to throw toxins in our air and harm our health free All this time is absurd!
Beyond the cleaner and healthier air, a robust ceiling and investment program also means money in the pockets of New Yorkers while offering transformative advantages for our communities. Right now, more than 1.2 million families In the state, two months or more ago on their energy bills, totaling nearly $ 2 billion.
In New York, rate increases offered by the public service provider Con Edison Increase energy bills by 12% from 2026, exacerbate the energy burden of workers’ families. But if the state of New York advances a daring ceiling and investment program, households will obtain both direct relief from the energy bill and access to free or low -cost energy efficiency upgrades.
A recent report has shown that a strong ceiling and investment program Save most households on average $ 400 per year, And some scenarios indicate that families could save up to $ 2,000 per year, which makes accommodation and energy more affordable for everyone, especially those who have less than $ 200,000. A well -funded ceiling and investment program will also generate more than $ 3 billion for disadvantaged communities of the whole State to invest in projects led by the community, such as affordable green housing, solar energy on the roof, electric buses and cycle routes.
The activation of a daring and ambitious caps and investment program in New York should be obvious. With Trump’s recent attack on energy efficiency, clean energy discounts, and even more, New York has a unique opportunity to create local and clean technologies and contract and reduce energy costs for New Yorkers, while cleaning our air.
Unfortunately, the governor has been dragging his heels on CAP and investing for two years. This is why assembly Tapia and the CDC point supports the CAP and invest the railing billwhich would launch the program to avoid new delays.
New Yorkers deserve an ambitious program where polluters pay so that workers can obtain relief from their energy costs exciting the sky and live in modern, safe and affordable houses. New York needs daring leadership to unlock billions of dollars to help reduce energy bills with healthy and healthy heating and cooling technologies in state houses.
Tapia is a member of the assembly representing parts of the Bronx. Vasquez is a community organizer of environmental justice at Point Community Development Corp.
