RGGI

A National Model
for Fighting
Climate Change
Mission
Environmental Advocates of New Yorks mission
is to protect our air, land, water, and wildlife and
the health of all New Yorkers. Based in Albany, we
monitor state government, evaluate proposed laws,
and champion policies and practices that will ensure
the responsible stewardship of our shared environ-
ment. We work to support and strengthen the efforts
of New Yorks environmental community and to
make our state a national leader.
Environmental Advocates of New York
353 Hamilton Street
Albany, NY 12210
Tel 518.462.5526
Fax 518.427.0381
www.eany.org
Author
Conor Bambrick
Editors
David VanLuven
Katherine Nadeau
Copyright August 2013
Acknowledgments
Environmental Advocates thanks The Energy
Foundation, The Orchard Foundation, The
Scherman Foundation, The JM Kaplan Fund, The
Wallbridge Fund, The William C. Bullitt Foun-
dation, and The Civil Society Institute for their
generous support of this work.
Table of Contents
RGGI: A National Model
for Fighting Climate Change
Executive Summary.................................................1
Reshaping New Yorks Economy.............................2
Success in Every County .........................................6
Recommendations & Conclusion...........................11
Source Documents..................................................13
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
A MODEL FOR
CLIMATE ACTION
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
is a work-horse, not a show-horse. RGGI is a nine-
state coalition which has capped carbon pollution for
energy plants at 165 million tons annually across the
Northeast while using money raised from the sale of
carbon pollution credits to reinvest back into energy
eIfciency and renewable energy projects.
In the few years since the programs inception, RGGI
has become the guiding hand responsible for moving
thousands oI important projects in every region, coun-
ty and legislative district from concept to completion.
In fact, when President Obama announced his cli-
mate change action plan in June, 2013, he referenced
12 states which have successfully moved to cut cli-
mate-altering carbon pollution from energy producers
nine of which make up the RGGI coalition.
The Presidents announcement coincides with New
Yorks own efforts to further strengthen RGGI in the
wake of the devastation felt by Hurricane Irene, Super-
storm Sandy and Tropical Storm Lee.
At the time of this writing, Governor Andrew Cuomo
has proposed rules that will further lower the amount
of pollution energy plants may emit, which will further
fght climate change, and raise new revenue Ior the
development of clean, renewable, and homegrown
power.
Today, when the Governor speaks about breaking
down governments silos and opening New York for
business, RGGI is a program he can proudly point to
as the connective tissue furthering his New New York
agenda, rebuilding our states economy.
As New York prepares to adopt the rules which will
guide RGGI during the next several years, it is import-
ant to look back at some of the key investments and
community benefts delivered Irom this national model
for tackling the emissions causing climate change.
Governor Cuomo has recognized that economic de-
velopment and environmental protections must work
hand-in-hand, more so than any of his recent predeces-
sors.
The Governor became a national voice on the need to
fght climate change Iollowing Superstorm Sandy. And
he followed up that rhetoric with proposed rules to
strengthen RGGI which will:
Lower New York's carbon cap by 45%
ncrease greenhouse gas pollution premiums
Continue the state's commitment to clean
energy and effciency
Map of member states
Since inception,
RGGI has:
Sparked the development of innovative
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mechanisms
Supported the conversion of large
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Enhanced consumer outreach and
education models
Launched green economy workforce
programs
Fostered ambitious investments in solar
installation
1
While Environmental Advocates acknowledges signif-
icant work remains in the fght to protect New Yorkers
from climate change, strengthening RGGI is a critical
frst step.
In almost any project oI signifcance, several state
agencies play key roles within the process each
having control over their workload, often competing
goals, and varying levels of experience or interest in
collaboration. As a result, speed and effectiveness
are two words not often associated with state govern-
ment.
RGGI, however, is changing that dynamic between not
only the relevant state agencies, but local government,
community organizations, and business leaders, too.
Under Governor Cuomos RGGI operating plan, funds
are being utilized across a robust portfolio of energy
eIfciency, clean power, technology innovation and
workforce development programs forcing stakeholders
to identify common goals and collaborate. The results
of this collaboration include thousands of examples in
every corner and every county in the state.
RESHAPING
NEW YORKS ECONOMY
RGGI, Inc. is a nonproft composed oI heads oI energy
and environmental agencies from the nine participat-
ing states. In November, 2012, RGGI Inc., estimated
that over its frst three years oI operation, energy
eIfciency investments Iunded by the auction oI car-
bon pollution allowances will save homeowners and
businesses $1.3 billion.
In addition to considerable economic benefts Ior con-
sumers, the program has ensured many environmental
protections, and curbed more than 12 million tons of
climate-altering carbon pollution the equivalent of
taking two million cars off the road for one year.
Coalition states have also invested $617 million of
carbon auction proceeds into programs designed to
reduce climate-altering pollution, increase energy
eIfciency and renewable energy generation, lower
consumer costs, and promote economic development
in the clean energy sector.
Igniting Development in
62 Counties
As of March, 2013, New York had auctioned 197.5
million carbon dioxide allowances, Iorcing ineIfcient
power plants to pay $450 million for climate pollution.
The majority oI those Iunds were directed to climate
change mitigation and adaptation projects a critical
effort in the wake of the devastation felt by increasing-
ly extreme, erratic and unpredictable weather, includ-
ing Hurricane Irene, Superstorm Sandy and Tropical
Storm Lee.
These RGGI allocations have created jobs and ad-
vanced clean energy and energy eIfciency projects
across New York.
The program has already supported a signifcant
increase in residential energy eIfciency projects, the
installation of more than three megawatts of solar
photovoltaics, clean technology research and market
development, industrial energy eIfciency, and climate
research and analysis.
A Record of Success
In addition to fostering better coordination outside and
within state government, New York has used RGGI
to invest much-needed Iunds into fghting greenhouse
gas pollution, lowering consumer bills, and producing
cutting edge research on climate change mitigation
and adaptation.
Over the following sections, we highlight several suc-
cessful program areas driven by RGGI, including:
Green Jobs Green NY program
Developing the next generation of workers
Making large properties more effcient
Clean energy, big savings
Climate change adaptation
Green Jobs Green New York
RGGI`s most signifcant investment is in the area oI
residential eIfciency services, accounting Ior more
than 50% of program spending. It is easy to see why:
New York`s housing stock is old and ineIfcient, with
85% constructed prior to 1980. Residential structures
are responsible for 29% of electricity consumption
statewide. Buildings residential, commercial, and in-
dustrial are responsible for 39% of the states overall
2
greenhouse gas emissions, second only to the transpor-
tation sector.
The Green Jobs program directs RGGI funds to pro-
vide free home energy audits, offer innovative low-
cost fnancing options Ior eIfciency retrofts oI single
and multi-family structures, and develop building
eIfciency job training programs.
Bolstered through the Power New York Act of 2011,
Green Jobs is the only statewide clean energy pro-
gram with the fexibility to promote energy eIfciency
and sustainable building measures for homes, small
businesses, and nonproft organizations. RGGI Iunds,
unlike other Iuel-specifc NYSERDA programs, are
not constrained by Public Service Commission (PSC)
rules that limit spending to measures related only to
electric or natural gas improvements. This allows
RGGI programs to reach a broader set of customers,
such as the more than 30% of New Yorkers who cur-
rently use oil to heat their homes. Prior to the creation
of Green Jobs, funding options available to these
households were very limited.
Saving New Yorkers Money
As of February, 2013, more than 31,000 single-family
energy audits had been completed through Green Jobs.
Importantly, the completion rate Irom audit to retroft
is 35 a signifcant increase over NYSERDA`s audit
program completion rate prior to Green Jobs which
was a cool 10%.
Green Jobs oIIers innovative fnancing options to
customers to retroft their homes. AIter undergoing a
free or reduced cost energy audit to identify a menu
of proven cost savings measures, individuals have the
option of applying for a direct loan through NYSER-
DA or entering into an agreement to pay off the loan
through their utility bills, a practice commonly known
as 'on-bill recovery. The scope oI projects are based
3
on each households estimated monthly energy sav-
ings, and repayment plans are designed to then deter-
mine loan repayment schedules based on savings.
This approach eliminates a signifcant market barrier
by providing the upfront capital for common sense ef-
fciency projects without increasing monthly expenses.
The creative fnancing options are clearly attractive
to homeowners. Through the frst part oI 2013, NY-
SERDA closed on 3,099 loans totaling $31,324,984
Ior building energy retrofts. Overall, when accounting
Ior all oI NYSERDA`s residential eIfciency oIIerings,
Green Jobs energy audits have resulted in the comple-
tion oI more than 11,000 projects.
A Skilled Workforce for a
Cutting-Edge Economy
Green Jobs is also focused on building and main-
taining the infrastructure necessary to educate, train,
and prepare New Yorkers Ior new economy jobs in
building eIfciency and renewable energy.
The program directs NYSERDA to bring
together all stakeholders and develop a
robust network of workforce develop-
ment and community outreach partners to
promote program participation and help
individuals, particularly those from tra-
ditionally economically distressed areas,
down the path to a career in the clean energy economy.
It accomplishes this in part by mandating highly suc-
cessful coordination between the states Department of
Labor, the Division of Homes & Community Renew-
al, the OIfce oI Temporary & Disability Assistance,
educational institutions, labor unions, businesses, and
community-based organizations throughout the state.
The fexibility oI RGGI Iunds allows Ior a co-min-
gling with other initiatives supported by NYSERDAs
Energy EIfciency PortIolio Standard, Systems Ben-
eft Charge, and Technology & Market Development
programs sources which are restricted to research
and development and projects related to electricity and
natural gas.
This fexibility also means partners and participants
extend well beyond the usual suspects. RGGI dollars
have been used to create partnerships with communi-
ty colleges, universities, local high school vocational
programs, and businesses statewide, funding curric-
ulum development, training centers, equipment and
tools, feld testing labs, certifcation, and accreditation.
Notable examples include:
Syracuse University's Southside nnovation Cen-
ter;
The Hudson Valley's fve college Clean Energy
Technology Training Consortium (Ulster, Dutchess,
Orange, Rockland, and Sullivan Community Col-
leges);
Commercial energy audit training at the
City University of New York, SUNY Stony
Brook, and Monroe County Community
College
Local 32BJ Thomas Shortman Training
Fund for building performance training.
RGGI job training Iunds are available to businesses
that have worked with the Department of Labors One-
Stop Career Centers which match career applicants
with green job opportunities. For each new hire by
building performance contractors, NYSERDA covers
50% of the workers salary during a six-month on-the-
job training period. Businesses are also eligible Ior an
additional $4,000 incentive to cover outside training
costs. Through early 2013, 35 businesses and more
than 100 individuals had benefted Irom this program.
As part of the Pathways Out of Poverty focus of
Green Jobs, the program has dedicated resources to
disadvantaged youth. NYSERDA has worked with
organizations like YouthBuild, the Urban League of
Rochester, and the Northeast Parent & Child Society
to provide job training and General Equivalency Di-
ploma (G.E.D.) assistance services to at-risk youth.
NYSERDA invests
RGGI resources in New York to:
Spur the clean energy economy
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Provide consumer, health, and
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Offset disproportionate impacts on
environmental justice communities
4
Putting the Hudson Valley to Work
In the Hudson Valley, the SUNY Ulster Clean Energy
Technology Training Consortium has attracted more
than 2,500 participants to be trained in renewable
energy and green technology construction. As a result,
companies like SolarTech Renewables, Malcarne Con-
struction, and Hudson Solar have been able to expand
their businesses by hiring well trained, clean energy
professionals from the local workforce.
RGGI funds have played a key role in the Consortium,
a fve-county partnership between Ulster, Dutchess,
Orange, Rockland, and Sullivan County community
colleges.
In 2013, SUNY Ulster tapped additional RGGI funds
to partner with a local green building frm and trans-
form one of the colleges original buildings into a
state-oI-the-art energy eIfciency science lab. The
building will serve as a regional training center for
students pursuing certifcations in sustainable build-
ing practices, providing demonstrations of real world
challenges that contractors and building-performance
proIessionals encounter when conducting energy eIf-
ciency retrofts.
RGGI funds are also being used to build four other
training facilities across New York, thereby creating a
skilled workforce for the states 21st century economy.
Creating Opportunity
The original Green Jobs legislation directed NYSER-
DA to develop unique consumer education and work-
force outreach partnerships with community-based
organizations throughout the state with an emphasis
on communities in clean air non-attainment zones
or where energy costs are high in relation to median
family income.
NYSERDA contracts with community-based organiza-
tions to provide specialized consumer outreach and ed-
ucation, especially in the area oI fnancial counseling
Ior retroft loans. They also work with local contrac-
tors to aggregate energy eIfciency projects in particu-
lar neighborhoods in return for upfront commitments
by the contractors to provide community benefts like
local hiring, prevailing wages, and benefts; in turn,
contractors beneft Irom work in multiple buildings
within close proximity.
Community-based organizations play a key role in the
recruitment and retention of individuals seeking green
careers, coordinating with One-Stop Career Centers
and local training programs to match applicants with
job and educational opportunities. Many oI these
organizations also offer support services like G.E.D.
programs and assistance accessing other state resourc-
es available to assist families, low-income individuals,
and the unemployed.
Courtesy of Barbara Reer
5
Legislative Districts Benehtting
Senate: John Bonacic, David Carlucci, Terry Gipson,
Cecelia Tkaczyk, James Seward, Bill Larkin
Assembly: Didi Barrett, Kevin Cahill, Aileen Gunther,
Eileen Jaffey, Kieran Michael Lalor, Annie Rabbitt,
Frank Skartados, James Skoufs, Claudia Tenney,
Ken Zebrowski
Legislative Districts Benehtting
Senate: Mark Grisanti, Timothy Kennedy
Assembly: Michael Kearns, Crystal Peoples-Stokes,
Sean Ryan
There are 18 active communi-
ty-based organizations bringing
energy eIfciency services to un-
derserved communities across New
York.
To bring energy eIfciency oppor-
tunities to underserved parts of
Buffalo and surrounding commu-
nities, PUSH Green utilized RGGI
support to launch a program that:
sends canvassers to knock
on doors and explain the cost
benefts of Green Jobs loans and
on-bill fnancing;
provides fnancial advocates
to help homeowners navigate
the complexities of getting free
energy audits and applying for
loans; and
works with contractors on
follow-through to make homes
more energy effcient.
PUSH Green also helped build a
trained workforce in the area by
having organizers work directly
with the state Department of Labor,
businesses, and the Laborers
International Union of North Amer-
ica to connect individuals interested
in pursuing a green career pathway
with training and apprenticeship
initiatives.
The result has been new jobs, more
eIfcient homes, and lower elec-
trical bills for many Buffalo-area
residents living in underserved
neighborhoods.
Making Large
Properties More
(IFLHQW
Both the Multifamily Performance
Program and Multifamily Carbon
Emissions Reduction Program
utilize RGGI and complementary
NYSERDA clean energy funds to
provide loan support for wholesale
energy retrofts and heating Iuel
conversions at larger residential
buildings with fve or more units.
Nearly 60% of the program fund-
ing has been dedicated to buildings
serving low-income housing units.
Like the residential programs for
smaller homes, all buildings un-
dergo energy audits to determine
applicable cost-effective measures
like converting heating units from
oil to more eIfcient Iuel sources,
installing more eIfcient water heat-
ing systems, improving building
envelopes, and modernizing HVAC
systems.
The Multifamily Carbon Emissions
Reduction Program provides highly
sought funding to convert heat-
ing systems from #6 fuel oil the
heaviest and most polluting to
cleaner fuel alternatives. Within
three months of its launch in 2011,
these RGGI dollars were commit-
ted to 190 projects to beneft more
than 30,000 households.
SUCCESS IN
EVERY COUNTY
Students Help Cool
Greater Binghamton
Airport
The Greater Binghamton Airport,
using awards from RGGIs Re-
gional Economic Development and
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Pro-
gram and the Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration (FAA), is constructing
a ground-breaking project that will
be used to demonstrate the feasibil-
ity of utilizing geo-thermal technol-
ogy to manage airport operations,
maintenance, and safety throughout
the nation. The initiative was the
result of a winning proposal sub-
mitted by Binghamton University
students to an annual FAA compe-
tition that challenges participants
to develop solutions to problems
that can sometimes disrupt airport
operations.
The engineering undergrads teamed
up with Broome County oIfcials,
the Greater Binghamton Airport,
and the McFarland and Johnson
engineering frm to come up with
an innovative system that will use
geo-radiant heating to prevent snow
and ice accumulation at the primary
passenger loading area on the air-
ports tarmac. The technology will
also double as the cooling system
for the main terminal during the
summer months. It is diIfcult Ior
airports to manage winter precipi-
tation because traditional methods,
like salt, have the potential to dam-
age jet engines.
Courtesy of PushGreen
6
Legislative Districts Benehtting
Senate: Tom Libous
Assembly: Donna Lupardo
The $1.2 million FAA grant has been dedicated to
the installation of the geo-thermal heating prototype.
RGGIs Regional Economic Development and Green-
house Gas Reduction Program provided
$350,000 to connect the main terminal to
the geo-thermal system.
The project is an excellent example oI how
Governor Cuomos RGGI-funded pro-
grams are tapping the innovation of uni-
versities to resolve the pragmatic challeng-
es facing businesses and communities.
Helping H2Pump Recycle
Hydrogen
Many industries rely on hydrogen as an integral part
of their manufacturing processes, but it comes at a
signifcant cost both to the companies and the envi-
ronment. Manufactures that do not produce hydrogen
on-site have to procure their gas from outside sup-
pliers, forcing them to incur production and delivery
costs. Conventional manufacturing operations use an
application of hydrogen only once per cycle, releasing
the rest into the air. These ineIfcient processes result
in increased demand for hydrogen production, 95%
of which is derived from natural gas, driving up air
emissions linked to the manufacture, transportation,
and delivery of the gas.
H2Pump LLC, a company based in Latham, NY, took
a look at how hydrogen was being utilized and saw a
huge cost saving opportunity. Taking advantage of the
RGGI Industrial Process Improvement Program, the
company developed a hydrogen-recycling technolo-
gy that allows manufactures with hydrogen-intense
processes, like those involved in steel and semicon-
ductor production, to reuse as much as 90% of the gas
avoiding the need to refuel with each application.
The innovative device helps to cut back on hydrogen
use, storage, and transportation costs. The company
estimates that the average net savings per hydrogen-re-
cycling machine installed is $55,000 per year.
RGGI has provided $1.8 million in funding to help
H2Pump bridge the gap between innovation and com-
mercialization by demonstrating the effectiveness of
its technology at industrial facilities across
the state. By documenting and certify-
ing the cost savings and environmental
benefts gained with through a hydrogen
recycling retroft, H2Pump will be well
positioned to mass market their technol-
ogy. The devices are to be utilized at six
locations, including:
Rome Strip Steel in Rome
Pall Corporation's site in Cortland
The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineer-
ing in Albany
The Zeller Corporation, based in the City of Rochester,
is handling the manufacturing of the hydrogen recy-
cling products, providing an additional boost to New
Yorks economy.
Modernizing Large Buildings
The Carnegie House is a 317 unit co-op located in
the heart of Manhattan. Built in the early 1960s, the
building was bleeding energy and running on outdated
systems that were approaching the end of their lifecy-
cles.
In New York City, where electricity costs are consis-
tently among the most expensive in the nation, need-
lessly wasting energy is no laughing matter.
Luckily, the buildings board worked with NYSER-
DA to tap into RGGI and other clean energy funds to
develop the Multifamily Performance Program, an
energy eIfciency building retroft initiative geared to-
ward residential buildings with fve or more units. The
program provides applicants with grants and low-in-
terest loans Ior projects that will reduce oil, natural gas
and steam energy use, improve the performance water
heating systems, ventilation and building envelopes to
cut energy use and costs.
7
Legislative Districts Benehtting
Senate: Brad Hoylman
Assembly: Richard Gottfried
Legislative Districts Benehtting
Senate: Neil Breslin, Joseph Griffo, Joe Robach,
James Seward
Assembly: Anthony Brindisi, Harry Bronson,
Patricia Fahy, Barbara Lifton, Phil Steck
Working with NYSERDA, the Carnegie House board
and their building manager secured nearly $200,000
worth of incentives and a $500,000 low interest loan
through the Green Jobs Green New York program to
overhaul the building`s energy systems. The project
involved upgrading the ventilation system, insulating
the steam line, and installing energy eIfcient lighting
fxtures.
The Carnegie House now uses 15% less energy and its
residents save $250-$475 per year on their utility bills.
In all, the project savings are expected to exceed $1.2
million over the life of the measures, paying for itself
in just under six years.
Clean Energy, Big Savings
The RGGI-funded Statewide Photovoltaic Program
provides incentives for residential, commercial, and
industrial solar installations with an emphasis on stra-
tegically located projects that reduce peak loads and
other stresses on the electric grid. The program has
provided funding for 367 solar photovoltaic systems
adding up to nearly 3.5 MW of generating capacity
enough to power approximately 550 homes.
RGGI funds have also stabilized Long Islands suc-
cessful but under-resourced Solar Pioneer Rebate
program with $11 million to help the program meet in-
creasing demand for solar power on Long Island. As a
result, the Long Island Power Authority has been able
to proceed with a utility-scale solar project to generate
50 MW of new energy capacity enough to power
7,750 homes with solar.
350 Solar Projects
RGGI funds have supported solar installations at
homes, government buildings, and businesses across
the state creating jobs, reducing greenhouse gas
emissions, and helping New York transition to clean,
21st century energy sources.
The more than 350 solar projects supported by RGGIs
Statewide Photovoltaic Program include:
Cayuga Community College, where a126-panel ar-
ray will provide taxpayers with energy cost savings
for the next 25 years.
St. Luke Apartments in Oswego, a101-unit afford-
able housing project for seniors, low-income resi-
dents, and people living with disabilities. The system
will reduce the building's energy costs by nearly
$40,000 annually.
Geneva Community Center where a 117-panel ar-
ray is projected to save the center nearly $150,000
in utility costs over 25 years.
Manlius Pebble Hill School in DeWitt, whose
117-panel array will save the school $6,000 to
$9,000 each year in utility costs.
Next Wave of Solar Development
Utilizing $5 million in RGGI Iunds in conjunction
with additional state and private commitments, the
Governor leveraged the hugely successful SUNY
Albany College of Nanoscale Science and Technology
partnership with semiconductor pioneer SEMATECH
to win $62.5 million from the U.S. Department of En-
ergy. The partnership will bring down the cost of solar
manufacturing by 75% over the next decade.
Building off the renowned SEMATECH semiconduc-
tor model of the 1980s the impetus of the computer
age as we know it the public-private partnership
8
Legislative Districts Benehtting
Senate: John DeFrancisco, Michael Nozzolio,
Patricia Ritchie
Assembly: William Barclay, Gary Finch, Brian Kolb,
Samuel Roberts
Legislative Districts Benehtting
Senate: Neil Breslin, Kathy Marchione
Assembly: Pat Fahy, Jim Tedisco
formed the U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consor-
tium (PVMC). Headquartered at the Albany Nanotech
facility, PVMC has brought together over 40 leading
solar industry members and partners to develop the
next generation of solar photovoltaic technology.
The PVMC members are pooling their resources to
take advantage of SUNY Albanys nano-
technology expertise and state-of-the-art
facilities which include the Solar Energy
Development Center in Halfmoon, NY.
The collaborative effort, which will be
overseen by SUNY Albany and SEMAT-
ECH and implemented by members of the
consortium, is Iocused on advancing thin flm solar
photovoltaic cells by improving performance and re-
liability while lowering costs at each stage of produc-
tion from development to deployment. The initiative
has the potential to establish New York and the U.S. as
the global leader in next generation solar manufactur-
ing.
A Future Powered by Biofuel
For over 25 years, the SUNY College of Environ-
mental Science and Forestry (ESF) has been leading
research on producing willow shrubs for use as a
carbon-neutral renewable biofuel. Now, backed by a
$397,000 RGGI grant, ESF is ready to enact a training
program to scale up willow crop production to com-
mercial scale.
The program will offer ESFs expertise and technical
knowledge to landowners, farmers, and other bioen-
ergy stakeholders to help guide best-practices in the
areas of willow production, management, harvest, and
distribution. The program will beneft the economies
of nine upstate counties: Clinton, Essex, Franklin,
Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Oneida, Oswego, and St.
Lawrence.
Using willow shrubs as a bioenergy source offers great
agricultural potential. These fast growing shrubs can
be harvested up to seven times over 20 years Irom just
one planting. They require minimal maintenance and
can thrive on land that would otherwise be ill-suited
for other crops, providing farmers with new economic
opportunities. The product can be used to generate
heat and electricity or as a biofuel to meet transporta-
tion needs.
The ESF Willow Biomass Training Pro-
gram will work with stakeholders through-
out the nine-county region to support the
environmentally sound development of a
commercial willow shrub supply chain.
The program will provide farmers and
landowners with guidance on how to maximize willow
production on marginal tracts of farmland, as well as
on transportation and energy production.
The program coincides with a $1.2 million award from
the USDA to spur the development of 1,200 acres
of new willow shrub crops in New York. ReEnergy
Holdings, a bioenergy company based in Latham, NY
and a partner in the project, has committed to purchase
willow produced under the program for use at two
of its existing biomass facilities: Black River in Fort
Drum, NY (which converted from coal to biomass in
2013) and Lyonsdale in Lyons Falls, NY.
Although the willow is burned as a fuel source, studies
have shown that the carbon dioxide absorbed by the
growing plants balances that which is emitted through
combustion. However, the methods used to grow and
transport the plants (particularly fertilizers which emit
nitrous oxide) can shift the process to be a net absorber
or emitter of greenhouse gases, which is why the train-
ing provided by this project is so important.
$10 Billion Reasons for Adaptation
New Yorks entire infrastructure is outdated. Follow-
ing Superstorm Sandy, infrastructure in many parts of
New York City, Long Island the lower Hudson Valley
was swamped just when residents were most in need.
And infrastructure is only some of the ways climate
change is impacting our way of life: entire commu-
9
Legislative Districts Benehtting
Senate: Neil Breslin, Hugh Farley, Joseph Griffo,
Betty Little, Patricia Ritchie, James Seward, David
Valesky
Assembly: Ken Blankenbush, Anthony Brindisi,
Janet Duprey, Patricia Fahy, Bill Magee, William
Magnarelli, Addie Russell, Dan Stec, Phil Steck
Legislative Districts Benehtting
Senate: Adriano Espaillat, Tom O'Mara, Bill Perkins
Assembly: Barbara Lifton, Daniel O'Donnell, Keith
Wright
nities were built in known food plains, and a loss oI
natural barriers like wetlands leaves New Yorkers in
danger.
NYSERDAs Climate Research and Analysis Program
supports extensive scientifc research on the observed
and potential future impacts of climate change in New
York, and then utilizes data to develop mitigation and
adaptation measures to better prepare for future cli-
mate challenges.
In 2011, climate scientists at Columbia University, the
City University of New York, and Cornell University,
commissioned by NYSERDA, released what many
consider a defnitive study on climate change adaption,
entitled, Responding to Climate Change in New York
State. The exhaustive 600-page report (referred to
as ClimAID) is the most detailed examination of the
impacts the warming climate is having on the state to
date.
Published as New Yorkers were still recovering from
the devastation caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropi-
cal Storm Lee, ClimAID projected that, in the absence
oI signifcant actions to reverse the warming trend,
the frequency and severity of extreme weather would
worsen. According to the study, heat waves and heavy
storms are expected to become more prolonged and
intense, exacerbating the threat oI fooding, and econ-
omists predict climate impacts could cost as much as
$10 billion a year in New York State by 2050. Less
than a year after the report was released, Superstorm
Sandy struck, killing dozens, causing tens of billions
of dollars in damages, and displacing more than
10,000 New York households.
The ClimAID report included a series of climate
change assessments across eight distinct sectors: water
resources, coastal zones, ecosystems, agriculture,
energy, transportation, telecommunications, and public
health. Each section included specifc recommenda-
tions on critical areas requiring more in depth analysis.
New York State is using these recommendations to
commission a suite oI projects on climate issues.
All oI these projects were in the early stages at the
time of this report, but the following examples pro-
vide a closer look at three projects addressing natural
resource mapping, transportation infrastructure, and
dairy industry cooling techniques.
Landscape and Wildlife
Adaptation
Superstorm Sandy was a violent reminder that we need
to adapt our communities and infrastructure to handle
climate change and ensure that New Yorks natural
systems whether barrier beaches and coastal wet-
lands on Long Island, forests and alpine systems in the
Catskills and Adirondacks, or streams and wetlands in
our neighborhoods can adapt as well.
With more than 7.5 million acres of conservation lands
across the state plus all the natural lands in private
ownership New Yorks natural resource managers
have a lot of work to do. The challenge, however, is
determining what should be done and where.
Through funding from RGGI, the Nature Conservancy,
SUNY-ESF, and state Department of Environmen-
tal Conservation are developing a decision support
toolkit for natural resource managers. The map-based
digital tool will walk them through land management
questions to help them decide where to pursue differ-
ent adaptation strategies, such as protecting wildlife
migration corridors and restoring foodplains.
A North Country road is washed out following Trop-
ical Storm Irene. Courtesy of Martha Allen / Adiron-
dack Daily Enterprise.
10
Legislative Districts Benehtting
Senate: Neil Breslin, David Valesky
Assembly: Patricia Fahy, William Magnarelli
Keeping Roads Safe
Subways and tunnels arent the only transportation
inIrastructure in New York vulnerable to fooding.
Roads statewide oIten Iollow food-prone valleys and
cross streams and rivers that rise dramatically during
extreme downpours. Although climate change is pro-
jected to bring extreme downpours more Irequently
to New York, and in the process deliver more severe
foods, the state design standards Ior our roadways are
still based on weather patterns from the 1960s.
With RGGI funding, Cornell University
climatologists and the state Department of
Transportation are using sophisticated computer
models to project the Iuture extreme downpours that
our roads, and our communities, will likely be facing.
These models will be a sound basis for establishing
updated design standards that will help ensure road-
ways can withstand Iuture foods.

Keeping Dairy Cows Cool
Dairy cows dont like heat, which means milk pro-
duction will drop due to heat stress as climate change
makes New Yorks summers hotter. To offset this
problem, researchers are exploring a variety of cooling
techniques, such as improved ventilation in barns and
sprinklers, to keep the milk fowing.
With funding from RGGI, Dr. Lars Angenent at Cor-
nell University is exploring a novel cooling system to
use cow manure Ior the generation oI fammable bio-
gas which can be burned to generate electricity. This
process reduces greenhouse gas emissions and allows
farmers to generate their own electricity on site.
UnIortunately, the process isn`t perIectly eIfcient and
generates waste heat. And this is where Dr. Angenents
novel cooling system comes in. Rather than simply
letting the waste heat dissipate into the air, he is testing
a system that would capture that heat and use it to gen-
erate a stream oI chilled fuid. That fuid can be routed
below cow resting areas to alleviate heat stress and, in
turn, boost milk production.
Dairy is a major industry at risk. Keeping cows cool
will be an increasingly serious challenge as summers
grow progressively hotter, but creative approaches can
both address the local challenge of producing milk
while contributing to the broader challenges of reduc-
ing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting renew-
able energy.
RECOMMENDATIONS &
CONCLUSION
New York State has launched its required regulatory
review process in order to lower the carbon cap and
adopt additional recommended amendments to the
RGGI program. The process is being led by the state
Department of Environmental Conservation, NYSER-
DA, and the Public Service Commission, and will
conclude in late 2013.
Environmental Advocates of New York supports
Governor Cuomos broad proposals to expand and
strengthen RGGI, a plan which will:

1: Ensure that New York adopts, by January 1,
2014, a carbon pollution cap that reduces emis-
sions to current levels on par with its share of
the 91 million tons agreed to by the broader RGG
state coalition and places the state on track to
further reduce emissions by 20% by 2020.
2: Utilize the state's authority to retire and/or
permanently withhold unsold and undistributed
allowances from prior auctions prevent dirty power
plants from circumventing critical reforms.
11
Legislative Districts Benehtting
Senate: Tom O'Mara
Assembly: Barbara Lifton
Environmental Advocates is also urging:
A rational emissions leakage policy that accounts
for the carbon emissions associated with all the
electricity consumed within the RGG region,
including power imported from states not currently
participating in the program.
Expanding the program to cover emissions
associated with other economic sectors including
industrial stationary sources, energy infrastructure
like pipelines and well pads, buildings, and trans-
portation.
ncluding known greenhouse gas pollutants such
as methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofuorocarbons,
perfuorocarbons, and sulfur hexafuoride.
Continuing the state's commitment to invest
RGG proceeds in ways that help spur the clean
energy economy; reduce greenhouse gas emis-
sions; provide consumer, health, and environmen-
tal benefts; and offset disproportionate impacts on
underserved communities by dedicating increased
revenues to NYSERDA's portfolio of energy eff-
ciency, clean power, and technology programs.
Conclusion
RGGI was billed as a critical tool in New Yorks
fght to address the impacts oI climate pollution. The
success of the program is proof positive that policies
aimed at supporting environmental stewardship and
economic growth can be one and the same.
New York has an opportunity to build on the successes
of RGGI through the adoption of a strict cap that will
cut carbon emissions by another 45%. The state should
utilize the regulatory process to push the envelope
by exploring ways to expand the reach of the pro-
gram to cover other economic sectors, cap additional
greenhouse gases, and fnally take on the challenge
of pollution generated through electricity imports. A
lower, more aggressive cap can strengthen and expand
RGGIs successful programs, thereby boosting New
Yorks clean energy economy and better protecting
New Yorks communities and treasured landscapes
from the most severe consequences of climate change.
12
SOURCE DOCUMENTS
2011-2012 Annual Report NYSERDA
Binghamton Airport Geothermal Project, Carl Beardsley, Broome County Aviation Commissioner
Binghamton Airport Geothermal Project: CFA Project Data - http://www.nyscIaprojectdata.ny.gov/cIadatat-
able/nyserda?feldcIaagencyvalueAll&feldnyregionvalueSouthernTier&feldroundkeyval-
ue2-3&Apply
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pdf
Biomass Crop Assistance Program Project Area Number 10 Overview: http://www.Isa.usda.gov/
FSA/newsReleases?areanewsroom&subjectlanding&topicpIs&newstypeprIactsheet&typede-
tail&itempI20120608consvenproj10.html
Central New York REDC & NYSERDA Announce SUNY ESF Project to Grow Willow Biomass Industry Iro
Renewable Energy: http://www.nyserda.ny.gov/About/Newsroom/2013-Announcements/2013-06-11-Central-
NY-REDC-and-NYSERDA-Announce-SUNY-ESF-Project.aspx
Chapters 487 and 488 of the Laws of 2009 and Chapter 388 of the Laws of 2011
Developing Willow Biomass Crops as a Source oI Home Grown Energy; T.A. Volk, SUNY ESF, March 20,
2010.
Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Promulgation of the Proposed Revisions to
6 NYCRR Part 242: CO2 Budget Trading Program And the Promulgation of the Proposed Revisions to 6 NY-
CRR Part 200: General Provisions; New York State Department oI Environmental Conservation, July 9, 2013.
ESF, ReEnergy Collaborate on USDA-Funded Willow Program: http://www.esI.edu/communications/view.
asp?newsID1778
Fiscal Year 2012-13 Budget and Financial Plan NYSERDA, September 2012
Green Jobs Green New York Monthly Update: April 2013
Green Jobs Green New York Monthly Update: February 2013 NYSERDA
Green Jobs Green New York Outreach and Marketing Plan NYSERDA, June 28, 2010
Green Jobs Green New York: Annual Report NYSERDA, July 31, 2012
Green Jobs Green New York: Workforce Development Operating Plan NYSERDA
New York Green Residential Building Program Annual Report NYSERDA, September 2012
New York Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Advisory Group Meeting Proposed RGGI Operating Plan
Power Point NYSERDA, May 2, 2013
New Yorks Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Operating Plan Amendment for 2013 NYSERDA, April
25, 2013 Draft)
New Yorks RGGI-Funded Programs Status Report: Quarter Ending December 31, 2012 NYSERDA
New Yorks RGGI-Funded Programs Status Report: Quarter Ending June 30, 2012 NYSERDA
New Yorks RGGI-Funded Programs Status Report: Quarter Ending September 30, 2012 NYSERDA
NYSERDA Awards $1.8 Million to H2Pump of Latham To Help Demonstrate Energy-Saving Hydrogen
Technology, January 29, 2013: http://www.h2pumpllc.com/news/
Operating Plan for Investments in New York Under the CO2 Budget Trading Program and the CO2 Allow-
ance Auction Program NYSERDA, November 15, 2012
Operations and Accomplishments Annual Report: Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2012 NYSERDA
President Obama Speaks on Climate Change, June 25, 2013: http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/
video/2013/06/25/president-obama-speaks-climate-change
Process Evaluation and Market Characterization and Assessment Green Jobs-Green New York Residential
Program NMR Group, September 2012
Regional Investment of RGGI CO2 Allowance Proceeds, 2011 RGGI, Inc., November 2012
RGGI Auction Results: http://www.rggi.org/market
Toward a Clean Energy Future: A Three-Year Strategic Outlook 2012-2015 NYSERDA, July 2012
Toward a Clean Energy Future: A Three-Year Strategic Outlook 2013-2016 NYSERDA, July 2013
U.S. Photovoltaic ManuIacturing Consortium: http://www.uspvmc.org/
13
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