{"id":311147,"date":"2024-03-21T20:12:32","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T19:12:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=311147"},"modified":"2024-03-21T20:12:35","modified_gmt":"2024-03-21T19:12:35","slug":"new-york-climate-plan-needs-publicly-funded-spin-doctor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=311147","title":{"rendered":"New York Climate Plan Needs Publicly Funded Spin Doctor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roger Caiazza<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is another article about New York\u2019s climate \u201cleadership\u201d that I fear will trickle down to a state near you.  Ken Girardin from the Empire Center<\/a> breaks the story of New York\u2019s latest attempt<\/a> to shore up public support for the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act<\/a> (Climate Act).  This article explains that the State \u201cis especially concerned about certain areas of the climate program, noting they should be able to \u201cimmediately address emerging unforeseen events that draw media scrutiny\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Climate Act established a New York \u201cNet Zero\u201d target (85% reduction in GHG emissions and 15% offset of emissions) by 2050.  Despite the enormous impacts to energy affordability, threats to electric system reliability, and mandates affecting personal energy choices I believe many New Yorkers are unaware of the law. In 2023 transition recommendations were supposed to be implemented through regulation, Public Service Commission orders, and legislation.  Not surprisingly, the aspirational schedule of the Climate Act has proven to be more difficult to implement than planned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

NYS Seeks Spin Doctor To Fight Climate Law Critics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Girardin discovered that the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA) are hiring a public relations outfit, using $500,000 per year of public money, to \u201cmaintain a positive narrative\u201d and \u201crespond to negative viewpoints\u201d about the state\u2019s Climate Act. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

NYSERDA has been charged with supporting the technical analyses that are supporting the development and deployment of the Scoping Plan that outlines how to \u201cachieve the State\u2019s bold clean energy and climate agenda.\u201d  In brief, that plan is to electrify everything possible using zero-emissions electricity. Many aspects of the transition are falling behind, and the magnitude of the required actions is coming into focus. As a result, enough questions are being asked that the State has decided it needs to respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Girardin notes that the  just-released request for proposal<\/a> from the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA) seeks: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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public relations professionals or public relations firms interested in providing public relations\/communications services to advance the goals of NYSERDA and the Climate Leadership Community and Protection Act (Climate Act) by building awareness of and support for the Climate Act and assisting in developing a narrative around New York State\u2019s clean energy and climate priorities and providing rapid response communications services, if necessary.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

He describes the genesis of the problem and current situation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The law was passed without anything close to a cost estimate or feasibility study, and five years into its implementation, the Climate Act has created headaches for state officials. Among other things, the state Department of Environmental Conservation has blown off a statutory deadline to implement related regulations that would, among other things, ban replacement gas appliances and fossil-fuel furnaces and impose an economywide tax-like charge on businesses responsible for greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

None of the reports or analyses have provided a transparent full disclosure of the assumptions, expected emission reductions, and costs for the implementation of control strategies.  What is clear however is that NYSERDA has glommed on to the Climate Act funding as much as possible.  NYSERDA\u2019s payroll has doubled<\/a> in the past decade.  It already gets funding from a range of grants, taxes and energy-related charges, and Girardin notes that it\u2019s not clear which would be used to fund this contract. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

NYSERDA already has a sizable communications and marketing operation so this push to bring in outside help is remarkable. Girardin suggests that this proposal is tasked to what the State policy makers must think is a real problem:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The RFP doesn\u2019t just want someone to promote the Climate Act. It specifically seeks someone who can \u201crapidly respond to negative viewpoints and perceptions about the State\u2019s climate and clean energy goals under the Climate Act, the costs associated with the Climate Act, and challenges to particular policies and programs.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Clearly, you can only hide the impacts to the state of a complete transformation of the energy system in the state for so long.  Girardin points out that NYSERDA posted the RFP two weeks after a report from the Empire Center<\/a> showed \u201chow state officials had violated the law, misrepresented Climate Act costs and made fanciful assumptions about how the electric grid would function in 2030.\u201c  I am not the only one who has been making similar arguments for many months so it is not surprising that these issues are getting traction despite the efforts of NYSERDA to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thought Girardin laid out a strategy to raise issues when he described the primary concerns of the request for proposal (RFP).  If these are their issues of concern then pragmatists like me should be strengthening our arguments about these topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The RFP suggests NYSERDA is especially concerned about certain areas of the climate program, noting they should be able to \u201cimmediately address emerging unforeseen events that draw media scrutiny\u201d in areas including: <\/p>\n\n\n\n