New Yorkers voice support for 15 GW of renewable energy by 2030

New Yorkers say Gov. Kathy Hochul has a choice: either build 15 GW of renewable energy or continue “embracing Trump’s energy policy.”

Rallied by New York City mayoral candidate and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, NYPA received more than 6,100 public comments in response to building the 15 GW of public renewables.

Madani was a strong supporter of the Build Public Renewables Act, which tasked state utility New York Power Authority (NYPA) with leading the state’s progress toward reaching a state mandate for 70% renewable energy by 2030, per the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. To do this, the Build Public Renewables Act granted NYPA the power to build and operate its own renewable projects so that it can step in to build enough clean energy to get the state back on track to reach 70% renewable energy by 2030.

Zohran Mamdani at a rally Nov. 21, 2024 demanding New York stick to 15 GW of renewables by 2030.
*Image: Public Power NY*

Last month NYPA doubled the total renewable energy capacity from its inaugural plan after receiving public backlash over the 3.3 GW it initially proposed.

“That outside power that we built is how we were able to force the state to double its initial plans,” said Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes (D). “15 GW [of renewables] means shutting down the state’s most polluting plants, the peaker plants, 5 years sooner. It means lower bills for New Yorkers. This is not just an environmental issue, but it is a racial issue.”’

NYPA closed its public comment period for its updated Renewables Updated Strategic Plan and the overwhelming majority of comments said the same: NYPA must build 15 GW of public renewable energy by 2030. “Increasing the plan to 7 GW is a step forward, but it remains a half-measure in the face of increasing climate devastation,” thousands of public comments wrote.

Under the Build Public Renewables Act, NYPA must supply customers with 70% renewable energy by 2030. New York also must have:

10 GW of distributed solar 2030 (currently 68% achieved at 6.7 GW installed);
6 GW of energy storage by 2030 (currently 7% achieved with 445 MW installed); and
9 GW of offshore wind by 2035.

Among other things, the act also established the REACH program, which automatically discounts energy bills for low- and moderate-income ratepayers in disadvantaged communities through NYPA’s renewable energy sales. It also requires NYPA to work with climate, union and community groups to create biennial plans on building public renewables, with a 60-day comment period for each plan.

New York acknowledged last summer it would likely fail to meet its 70% mandate by 2030.

“This is a life or death issue for children across the state,” Sen. Jabari Brisport (D) said.

New York’s progress toward clean energy.
*Image: State of New York*

Public Power NY said New York “relies on profoundly unrealistic projections of how much capacity is on track to come online.” Since the Climate Act passed in 2019, progress toward achieving 70% renewables by 2030 has been dire, Public Power NY said.

New York will likely only achieve around 45% to 61% renewable energy by 2030, a 2023 Strategen report said. To get this number to 70%, Strategen said NYPA will have to construct and connect between 7 GW and 20 GW renewable energy projects by 2030. According to Public Power NY, if New York can add almost 4 GW of renewable energy in the next six months, it can add enough generation to achieve its mandate.

Much of the New York City residents’ outcry for more renewable generation stem from the city’s many peaker plants, most of which are more than 50 years old.

New York City ratepayers have paid gas peaker plant owners an estimated $4.5 billion in capacity payments over the past decade to keep peakers online in case they may be needed.

The Climate Act directed peaker plants to be phased out as it progressed toward its renewable energy targets. but its ambition turned sluggish in bringing the projects to operation. Now the state has been forced to hold off on closing many of the fossil-fuel peaker plants spread around the city.

New York’s renewable energy goals versus procured renewable energy.
*Image: Public Power NY*

New York has about 7.2 GW of solar capacity installed across the state, representing less than 0.07% of the state’s electricity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. New York is ranked 48^th per capita for its utility-scale solar.

Not only does New York City have a notable number of peaker plants, but most of them are more than 50 years old, so they emit even higher levels of pollutants relative to the electricity they generate.

Not to mention, rising electric costs. Replacing NYPA’s fossil-fuel plants with renewables by 2030 could save New Yorkers up to $1.2 billion through 2050 compared to fossil-fuel plant operation, according to Public Power NY.

Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado protests for New York to move away from gas and to clean energy Aug. 9, 2025.

In 2022, NYPA commissioned a study to determine the feasibility and economics of replacing its gas-fired peaker plants with renewable generation. The study found each of its plants could either be completely replaced, or almost completely replaced with 4-hour energy storage.

Residents from Long Island were opposed to more battery energy storage systems, however, demanding the systems in their community be mandated to have at least a five-mile buffer from residential and commercial districts on the island, which is about 23 miles at its widest point.

Most comments, however, did not share this opposition.

“One hundred years from now people are going to look back at this time period and be absolutely flabbergasted that we dragged our feet for so long towards this obvious truth,” Maria Huff said in a public comment. “Change is tough and it’s not always easy or cheap but it’s necessary.”

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