CLEAN FUELS NY COALITION RENEW CALL FOR CLEAN FUEL STANDARD AS BILL GAINS SUPPORT FROM SENATE AND LABOR SECTOR
Clean Fuel Standard Legislation A.862-A/S.2962-A Gains Momentum with New Labor Members and Inclusion in Senate One-House Budget Resolution
Bill Sponsors Announce Amendments to Drive Additional Funding to Environmental Justice Communities
New York, NY – Today, members of the Clean Fuels NY Coalition renew their calls to Governor Hochul and the New York State Assembly to include a clean fuel standard (CFS) in the final budget to accelerate the transition to a decarbonized and electrified transportation sector. Senator Parker and Assemblymember Woerner also announced new amendments that will secure 40% of program funds for environmental justice communities to transition to electrification and clean fuels.
As the clean fuel standard continues to gain momentum, the Clean Fuels NY Coalition welcomes labor unions to the coalition, including the Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau & Suffolk Counties and the New York State Pipe Trades Association. Last week, the clean fuel standard was also included in the Senate one-house budget resolution. Earlier this year, the Climate Action Council identified in their draft scope plan that the clean fuel standard as a policy needed to achieve our goal of reducing emissions 40% by 2040 by decarbonizing the fuels used by cars and trucks currently on the road as well as incentivize the transition to electric vehicles.
"Our reliance on fossil fuels for transportation is harming New Yorkers' health, their wallet, and our planet. It's increasingly urgent that New York accelerate the transition to electric vehicles and clean fuels. I am pleased to see my counterparts in the Senate prioritize the clean fuel standard in its one house budget. We’re also pleased to have introduced new amendments that will drive additional funds to environmental justice communities that are most harmed by transportation pollution. The Clean Fuel Standard will establish in New York a proven mechanism and process for massively reducing carbon emissions from cars, trucks, buses, ships, aircraft now that will benefit future generations of New Yorkers. For those reasons, I am calling on the Governor and Legislative leaders to prioritize the clean fuel standard in the final budget," said Assemblymember Carrie Woerner, bill co-sponsor.
“We need action now to reduce transportation emissions in New York State. A clean fuel standard is a proven and effective way to drive investments for clean fuels and electric vehicles. Thank you to my colleagues in the State Senate for prioritizing climate change in the one house budget. This policy has the potential to immediately reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and improve public health. We’re now calling on the Assembly and Governor Hochul to follow our lead and include the clean fuel standard in the final budget,” said Senator Kevin Parker, bill co-sponsor.
“We’re thrilled to see continued progress and growing support for passing a clean fuel standard in New York. In the past few weeks, we’ve welcomed new labor groups to the coalition who understand the urgency for addressing the climate crisis and the opportunity to create a green economy. Simultaneously, new amendments to the bill will allocate additional program funds for environmental justice communities, which have been on the front lines of transportation pollution. We hope to see the New York Legislature and Governor Hochul prioritize the clean fuel standard in the final budget,” said Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters.
A clean fuel standard will make the fossil fuel industry pay for New York’s transition to a decarbonized and electrified transportation sector, help achieve the goal of near zero emissions across the transportation sector by 2050, reduce air pollution, and improve public health in communities that are hardest hit by diesel truck and bus pollution.
Based on how the program is working in California and Oregon, the standard would result in an estimated $1 billion investment annually in clean transportation fuels at little to no cost to the state. Those funds could provide support for transit bus electrification, charging infrastructure, and rebates for electric vehicles, among other clean transportation possibilities, and incentivize both the public and private sectors to rapidly reduce fossil fuel use.
A clean fuel standard requires transportation fuel suppliers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the fuels they make and sell, creating a more dependable market for clean fuels produced in the United States and here in New York and technologies that are essential to reaching the goals set out in New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). A clean fuel standard is in place in California, Oregon, British Columbia, and Washington. In 2019 and 2020 (the most recent years with official data), clean fuels in California displaced nearly 5 billion gallons of fossil fuels, thanks to their clean fuel standard.
About Clean Fuels NY Coalition
The Clean Fuels NY Coalition is a group of leading environmental, public health and energy groups led by the New York League of Conservation Voters, formed to demonstrate the diverse support for a clean fuel standard across industries.
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