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Photo Credits: Erin Harte; Slow Food NYC
New York State's buildings consume hefty amounts of electricity and burn massive quantities of fossil fuels – which means, we’re responsible for our fair share of greenhouse gas emissions. Green Jobs / Green NY is an initiative passed in September that aims to cut down those emissions by 30 to 40 percent by making our buildings more energy efficient. And, all that retrofitting means about 60,000 new jobs.
Green for . . . Greening
Green Jobs / Green NY plans to provide funds to eligible residential, not-for-profit, and small-business buildings for improvements such as weather stripping, insulation, and the repair or replacement of heating and cooling systems. Although many buildings in New York State are quite old and could very well use this sort of surgery, the significant upfront costs can be a strong deterrent. The Green Jobs / Green NY program promises to cover those costs by offering subsidized loans, which the recipients would pay back over time through an addition on their utility bills.
Imagine for a moment that you're one of the lucky participants: Sure you’d like a spiffy new water heater and some snazzy new windows, but who can afford it in this economy? Well, with the Green Jobs / Green NY loan, you’ll see an increase to your monthly electric bill, but that loan repayment is canceled out by the fact that you’ll be consuming – and paying for – less energy. No extra money flows out of your pocket, and once the loan is paid off, you'll have even more money staying in your wallet.
The legislation has been greeted with approval from environmental policy watchdogs. Jackson Morris, the Air & Energy Program Director at Environmental Advocates of New York, summarized one of the program's positive equations: “The whole idea is that if you invest in efficiency, you're now using less power so even if your rate goes up, your bill goes down; there is downward pressure on demand for electricity, retail prices will go down, power plants now need to buy fewer permits, which means that permits cost less for the power plants, and everyone wins.” He's talking about CO2 permits, which, under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the ten member states, including New York, auction to polluters such as power plants, using the proceeds to fund energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.
Green Jobs / Green NY's seed money—$112 million of it—is supposed to come from the RGGI proceeds. Along with various forms of federal assistance, private investment will contribute to the significant funds necessary to achieve the program’s ambitious goal of one million retrofitted buildings.
A Precarious Start
Two days after signing this legislation, however, Governor Paterson proposed a plan for cutting the State budget deficit, which includes diverting $90 million from the estimated two-year RGGI proceeds. Although the Governor’s office was quick to offer assurance that this plan would leave the $112 million earmarked for Green Jobs / Green NY untouched, related programs will be affected. The move could also set a dangerous precedent. Mr. Morris, who labeled it “idiotic”, explains: “[The RGGI] account is going to be dry until next summer at least. There will be no benefit on the ground, which will make it more likely that they will keep sweeping the money when they make the budget for 2010-2011.”
So instead of taking another big bite out of emissions, New York's RGGI plan found itself chewed up. Nevertheless, the Green Jobs / Green New York program is clearly a step in the right direction. It is slated to start in the Spring of 2010.
About the Author
Mensur Serifovic is a writer and multiculturalist living in Brooklyn, NY.
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