A New York solar project by Standard Solar.
Governor Kathy Hochul has announced plans to invest more than $1 billion to address the climate crisis and achieve a more sustainable and affordable future as part of her 2025 State of the State. This ambitious proposal would be the single largest climate investment in state history, generating thousands of jobs, slashing energy bills for households and cutting harmful pollution. This announcement demonstrates New York State’s continued commitment to deploying renewable energy, advancing clean transportation and building decarbonization and the exploration of emerging technologies that can support decarbonization goals and economic development.
“Today, we take a monumental step towards a greener, more affordable future for New York State,” Governor Hochul said. “This historic $1 billion climate investment is not just a commitment to sustainable energy, it is a commitment to New Yorkers — creating thousands of jobs, cutting energy costs, and reducing harmful pollution. Together we are driving forward with innovative technologies to achieve our decarbonization goals while ensuring economic growth.”
With 2024 standing as the hottest year in recorded history, Governor Hochul knows addressing climate change is both a moral imperative and an enormous economic opportunity. Her 2025 State of the State is tackling climate change head-on through record investments, a commitment to exploring nuclear energy technologies and efforts to decarbonize state agencies and college campuses.
Giving climate ambition a green light
Governor Hochul is directing the state to embark on the single-largest program of climate investment in the history of the State budget, directing over $1 billion in new spending toward achieving a more sustainable future. This landmark investment will create good-paying jobs, improve long-term affordability, and cut down on harmful pollution and its impacts on our families.
Governor Hochul’s investment will span across different sectors of our economy and across the State’s geography by:
- Retrofitting homes and incentivizing the installation of heat pumps.
- Ensuring public infrastructure can serve as hubs of sustainability, including building out thermal energy networks at SUNY campuses that can model a pathway towards the next generation of energy infrastructure.
- Expanding green transportation options across the state and supporting businesses of all sizes in their decarbonization journey.
Additionally, over the coming months, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will continue their work as New York progresses implementation of the cap-and-invest program including proposing new reporting regulations to gather information on emissions sources. This will create more space and time for enhanced engagement and public input as work also continues on other implementing regulations and the program’s investment plan.
Public power for public entities and creating clean energy union jobs
Governor Hochul will direct state agencies and the New York Power Authority to enter into contracts in pursuit of achieving 100% renewable energy for state agencies by 2030, in line with Executive Order 22. These contracts will result in at least 500 MW of renewable energy while creating clean energy development, 9,000 union jobs and reduced emissions.
Decarbonizing New York’s SUNY and CUNY campuses
Recognizing the critical role of New York’s higher education institutions in achieving the state’s climate goals, Governor Hochul plans to decarbonize campuses across the SUNY and CUNY systems. Leveraging investments from the Environmental Bond Act, Governor Hochul will direct SUNY and CUNY to begin electrifying campuses and integrating renewable energy technologies.
This effort will include the adoption of advanced thermal energy networks and other transformative clean energy systems. These upgrades will significantly reduce emissions, enhance campus sustainability and create healthier, more resilient learning environments for students, faculty and staff.
News item from NYSERDA
