SHARE held a press conference at the Capitol on December 18, 2023 to urge Governor Hochul to support the Renewable Capitol Act (S2689-Breslin/A5633-Fahy) and include it in her Executive Budget. Mark Dunlea, one of the leaders of GELF (Green Education and Legal Fund), PAUSE (People of Albany United for Sustainable Energy), and SHARE, spoke first about the Renewable Capitol Act (RCA), which requires to State Capitol Complex to convert to 100 percent renewable energy within three years. Dunlea emphasized that using renewable energy to heat and cool the Complex instead of burning fossil fuels in the Sheridan Hollow Steam Plant would help advance the state’s climate goals. And it would finally bring relief to the residents of the Sheridan Hollow neighborhood from the pollution produced by the Steam Plant. These points were expanded upon by each of the four other speakers he introduced:
- Merton Simpson, co-chair of SHARE and County Legislator for the district that includes the Sheridan Hollow neighborhood;
- Senator Neil Breslin, sponsor of the RCA in the Senate; Assemblymember Pat Fahy, co-sponsor with John McDonald of the RCA in the Assembly;
- Rosemary Rivera, Executive Director of Citizen Action;
- Reverend Ibrahím Pedriñán, President of the Albany County Central Federation of Labor.
The speakers also emphasized the importance of the state setting a leadership example by adopting a renewable energy solution for its own government offices.
Press Conference Video (recorded by the Senate)