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Advocates and city officials press utilities, PSC to speed thermal energy pilots and Local Law 97 funding
Summary
New York City officials and clean‑energy advocates told the Senate committee that neighborhood‑scale utility thermal energy networks (U‑10 pilots) and scaled funding for building electrification are essential to meet Local Law 97 and CLCPA goals in dense urban areas; they urged the PSC and State to prioritize solicitations, devote system benefits
City officials and environmental groups urged faster approvals and scaled funding for neighborhood‑scale clean‑heat projects and for programs that help large buildings comply with Local Law 97.
Elijah Hutchinson, executive director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, told the committee the city has complied with the first Local Law 97 deadline and that nearly half of New York State’s population lives in the city. He urged state funding and program design that give priority to dense, harder‑to‑decarbonize housing and disadvantaged communities, and called for PSC action on transmission and on U‑10 utility thermal energy network pilots so the city can realistically meet building decarbonization deadlines.
Advocates from Alliance for a Green Economy, ACE‑NY, New Yorkers for Clean Power and the SANE Energy Project described utility thermal energy networks as a potentially efficient route to decarbonize large buildings and accelerate electrification at scale. They argued U‑10 projects — utility‑led, neighborhood‑scale thermal grids — can reduce electric load, enable more equitable retrofits of multifamily housing, and create union construction jobs while minimizing per‑household costs.
Several witnesses said the PSC should move pilots to stage‑three customer acquisition and construction, pointing to multiple proposals in the docket. They asked the Legislature to ensure the state’s system‑benefit charge and other funds prioritize multifamily, affordable housing and City‑level Local Law 97 priorities. The League of Conservation Voters and advocates reiterated support for legislation that would allow utilities to opt into regional energy‑savings programs and to offer non‑pipe alternatives instead of mandatory pipe replacement when alternatives are cheaper and more efficient.
Why it matters: Dense urban housing is harder and more expensive to retrofit; advocates say utility‑scale approaches that aggregate buildings and leverage existing rights‑of‑way and workforce can lower per‑unit costs and speed emission reductions. City officials said elected leaders need clearer state financing and program rules to implement Local Law 97 compliance at scale.
Ending: City and state legislative staff were asked to follow up on program design details, and the committee requested further information on available funding streams (system‑benefit charge, environmental bond funds, NYPA resources) that could be targeted to dense, lower‑income housing.
