At the rally, a letter signed by over 50 diverse organizations calling for offshore wind power was delivered to the Mayor.
Last week, more than 150 New Yorkers joined community groups, environmental justice leaders, national environmental organizations, and local officials on the steps of City Hall to thank Mayor Bill de Blasio for his commitment to power 100% of City operations with renewable energy and urge him to ensure that offshore wind power plays a major role in achieving that goal.
At the rally, a letter signed by over 50 diverse organizations calling for offshore wind power was delivered to the Mayor. The letter highlights the massive potential of offshore wind power to reduce pollution and spark transformative job creation in New York City and across the state.
Prioritizing offshore wind power for NYC is also crucial for meeting Mayor de Blasio’s broader goal of cutting climate pollution in New York City 80% by 2050 and 35% within government operations by 2025. The letter calls on New York State and the Federal Government to take the actions necessary to launch offshore wind power for New York.
“With his bold commitment to power city operations with 100% renewable energy, Mayor de Blasio is continuing to set a high bar for climate leadership, and we’re calling on him to make offshore wind a significant part of reaching that 100% goal,” said Sierra Club’s Lisa Dix, Senior Representative of the New York Beyond Coal campaign. “Not only is offshore wind power poised to make a serious dent in our climate pollution, but a significant commitment to developing offshore wind promises improved urban air quality, long-term job creation across a wide variety of sectors, lower, more predictable energy costs, and the opportunity to invest our energy dollars locally.”
With the Supreme Court issuing a temporary stay to President Obama’s federal Clean Power Plan just last week, moving forward to develop clean energy—and especially offshore wind—has never been more important.
In addition to the Mayor’s goals to drastically cut carbon emissions 80% by 2030, New York City is the largest city in the world to set a 100% renewable energy generation goal for city operations.
“The construction and utilization of offshore wind power has the potential to transform New York’s economy and environment, replacing dirty coal with a clean and abundant form of energy. As New York strives to meet the goal of 50% generation of electricity from carbon-free renewable by 2030 outlined in Governor Cuomo’s ambitious Reforming the Energy Vision initiative, wind power will play an increasingly essential role,” said State Senator Brad Hoylman, Ranking Member of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee.
He added: “Achievement of these long-term goals, however, will require a long-term commitment from our state. Working with stakeholders like the Sierra Club and my colleagues in the legislature I look forward to implementing a progressive plan for wind power production that invests in New York’s future while respecting the interests of local communities and wildlife habitats.”
For more information and quotes for the event partners, click here.
Sierra Club
www.sierraclub.org
Filed Under: News, Offshore wind, Policy
