Governor Cuomo has signed the Power NY Act of 2011, a groundbreaking piece of legislation that makes the permitting process for new energy plants more efficient/ environmentally conscious, and creates on-bill financing for measures taken in energy efficiency. The legislation encourages investment in clean power plants, and creates measures in environmental protection and public-health. Such measures include legal funding for communities to participate in the permitting process, the creation of a siting board to calculate environmental impacts to be avoided/minimized by applicants and the promulgation of emission standards by the Department of Environmental Conservation. Also included in the act is an environmental justice provision that prevents low-income areas from bearing unjust levels of air-pollution.
The on-bill financing created by the act is the first of its kind in the nation. By allowing residents to finance energy retrofits on their utility bill, the program has the potential to significantly reduce New York's energy-use, while creating high-quality jobs.
For more information visit http://governor.ny.gov/press/08042011NYLegislation.
