Ruth Foster and Merton Simpson have submitted SHARE’s Testimony to the Environmental Conservation Hearing on Executive Budget Appropriations for 2023 – 2024. “We call for the legislature to shut down the Sheridan Avenue Steam Plant (SASP) that heats and cools the Capitol and Empire State Plaza in Albany, and to fund the Sheridan Hollow neighborhood to build a cleaner sustainable energy future,” the SHARE co-chairs wrote. Specifically, they urged the legislature to:
- Pass the Renewable Capital Act (S2689 Breslin / A— Fahy).
- Include a $1.5 million dollar appropriation in the New York State budget this year to develop a plan on how to transition the Capitol and Plaza to renewables.
- Fund the transition of the environmental justice community of Sheridan Hollow to a renewable energy community.
The full testimony, which additionally called on the legislature to “take bold and urgent action to address the climate crisis and meet New York’s climate goals” by enacting several other important proposals, is available here.