(WNY News Now) – Albany, New York – Climate activists from Planet Over Profit staged a demonstration yesterday, blocking the entrance to Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address at The Egg. The protesters displayed banners reading “Build or Burn” and “Hochul: Build 15 GW,” urging the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to construct 15 gigawatts (GW) of public renewable energy infrastructure. The action, aimed at pushing the state to meet its mandated climate goals, resulted in one arrest.
New York is legally obligated to achieve 70% renewable energy by 2030, but progress has stalled. Private developers have abandoned renewable projects, citing insufficient profitability. In response, the 2023 Build Public Renewables Act (BPRA) granted NYPA the authority to build and manage renewable energy projects. Despite this, NYPA’s October draft plan proposed a modest 3.5GW — far below what advocates argue is necessary.
In just two months, over 5,300 public comments flooded NYPA, urging the agency to significantly increase its commitment. Supporters argue that a 15GW investment would create tens of thousands of union jobs with strong labor protections, reduce utility costs for low-income residents, and phase out polluting fossil fuel peaker plants.
“The choice is clear, Governor Hochul, New York can build 15GW of public renewables or the state, like so much of the world, will continue to burn. With a climate denier as president, it’s more important than ever for New York to lead the way. New York can still meet its legally mandated climate targets but Governor Hochul must take action today,” said Teddy Ogborn, an organizer with Planet Over Profit who was arrested during the action.
The NYPA board will be voting on the strategic renewables plan at the end of the month and have made no public comments on how they plan to incorporate the thousands of public comments demanding the authority build more renewables.
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