Renewable Energy Long Island (reLI) attended the State Energy Plan Hearing and Rally for Renewable Energy at Stony Brook University, where students, advocates, and community members came together to urge New York State to stay on course toward a clean energy future. The event highlighted the call for state leaders to recommit to renewable energy goals, uphold the mandates of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), and ensure that the transition to a sustainable energy system is equitable and benefits all New Yorkers.

In 2019, New York State passed one of the most ambitious climate laws in the country: the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The CLCPA isn’t just aspirational — it sets legally binding targets, mandates equity, and provides a roadmap for transitioning off fossil fuels across every sector of the economy.

Here’s what it does — and why it matters more than ever.

The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) is New York’s landmark climate and environmental justice law — and one of the most ambitious in the nation. Passed in 2019 the CLCPA sets legally binding goals to achieve 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040 and a fossil fuel–free economy by 2050.

The law also requires that 40% of state climate and energy funding directly benefit disadvantaged communities, ensuring that New York’s clean energy transition centers equity and justice. To guide this work, the Climate Action Council (CAC) was established to develop a “scoping plan” — a roadmap for how the state will meet its climate goals.

Learn more about it here:

• NY Renews one pager
• Full CLCPA Bill
• NYSERDA Fact sheet