STUDY: Climate and Community Investment Act would create 160,000 long-term jobs for New Yorkers
A link to the full report can be found here.
Corporate polluters’ scare tactics ignore CCIA’s economic benefits to New Yorkers
A new study released by NY Renews shows that investment in climate programs and infrastructure under the Climate and Community Investment Act (CCIA, S4264-A/A6967) would create and sustain 160,000 jobs over a ten-year period. These jobs would reach beyond the renewable energy sector and include jobs in public transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, the care economy and schools, professional services, and pollution remediation. The jobs would be created in all regions of New York State.
Under the CCIA, an emissions fee on corporate polluters would generate an additional $10-$15 billion per year in state revenue, to be spent in four categories: 30% of the funds for community- based projects such as tenant-owned solar or energy efficiency; 30% for large-scale renewable infrastructure; one-third of the funds for energy rebates for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers; and 7% for fossil-dependent workers and communities.
The CCIA includes gold-standard labor provisions such as promoting high wages, best-value contracting, apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, and access to unions. Benefits are designed to flow in particular to people in disadvantaged and front-line communities.
Projects that could be funded under the CCIA include:
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Converting the Capitol building and Empire State Plaza to 100% renewable sources for cooling, heating and electricity, and making renewable sources widely available to the surrounding low-income communities of color, including the Sheridan Hollow and Arbor Hill neighborhoods.
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Ensuring Long Island becomes a major hub for the Regional Offshore Wind Energy Industry, as noted in this report by the Workforce Development Institute: OSW MOU – Orsted NJ and NY.
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Supporting the housing and energy priorities of the Shinnecock Nation, who are exploring energy efficiency retrofits for their building stock, community solar for all members of the tribe, and battery storage for resiliency due to increasing storms off their coast.
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Supercharging efforts such as Buffalo’s Massachusetts Avenue Project, a nonprofit urban farm located on Buffalo’s West Side providing year-round youth employment and training with job readiness and leadership skills through farming, a Mobile Market, kitchen and nutrition education, as well as food policy training and civic engagement.
A link to the full report can be found here.