FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2026
Contact: Chris Dobens, 718-679-8542, chris@weact.org
NEW YORK – WE ACT for Environmental Justice commends the New York State Legislature for including investments for energy efficiency and affordability in their One-House Budget resolutions (S.9004B/A.10004B).
“The renewal of the $1 billion investment in the Sustainable Future Program will lower energy bills for New Yorkers as well as improve public health – especially in environmental and disadvantaged communities, which are disproportionately impacted by the cost of and pollution produced by fossil fuels,” explained Eric Walker, Energy Justice Senior Policy Manager at WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “What’s more, the Sustainable Future Program is also an economic engine for the state, projected to support 7,400 new, good-paying jobs and generate $1.5 billion in economic activity.”
The Sustainable Future Program provides the weatherization and renewable infrastructure necessary to decouple family budgets from volatile, spiking gas prices that are projected to continue to rise through 2026. Both the New York State Senate and Assembly included the $1 billion re-investment in the program in their One-House Budget.
The Senate budget also included $150 million for the EmPower+ Program while the Assembly only included $160 million for the program over two years. Empower+ provides essential interventions such as air sealing, insulation, and energy efficient heating systems for close to 30,000 low- and moderate-income households each year.
“While we appreciate the gesture from the Legislature , we know this is simply a down payment on providing the scale of resources needed for low- to moderate-income New Yorkers, buried in energy debt, to reduce their energy usage and bills,” added Walker.
Both budget resolutions included significant investments in public schools and universities and thermal energy networks. The Senate set aside $300 million for school decarbonization, with $200 million for retrofitting boilers and HVAC systems and $100 million for solar projects. It also sought to invest $200 million for thermal energy networks in universities, with $126 million for SUNY and $74 million for CUNY.
The Senate budget also included $100 million for zero-emission school buses and $250 million for NYSERDA’s NY-Sun program. The Assembly made bolder transportation commitments, with $200 million for zero-emission vehicles, including $100 million for school buses, $50 million for NYSERDA’s Charge Ready Program, and another $50 million for municipal, commercial, medium duty, heavy duty, and fleet vehicles. The Assembly budget also included $200 million for renewable energy generation and $40 million for low-income weatherization programs.
“As budget negotiations continue, we urge lawmakers to continue to hold the line on New York’s Climate Act and ensure the final budget protects the policies and investments needed to protect vulnerable communities, create good-paying union jobs, clean up our air, and deliver tangible, lasting benefits that prioritize energy affordability for communities across New York,” Walker concluded.
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WE ACT for Environmental Justice is a Northern Manhattan-based, membership-driven organization whose mission is to build healthy communities by ensuring that people of color and/or low-income residents are meaningfully included in the development of sound and fair environmental health and protection policies and practices. WE ACT has offices in New York and Washington, D.C. Visit us at weact.org and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram. WE ACT’s legislative priorities are detailed in our 2026 Policy Agenda.