A Message from Albany Presbytery’s Peacemaking Task Force
On March 9 and 10, the NYS Council of Churches (NYSCOC) held its annual Ecumenical and Interfaith Advocacy Days led by the NYSCOC Environmental Justice Working Group. The Working Group stated that “A failure to address the climate crisis is a failure to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves. It is the “least of these among us” —the poor, the marginalized, communities of color, our children and grandchildren, and many of our fellow creatures — who will suffer the gravest effects of climate chaos. Many of the other challenges we face—in immigration, housing, human health, and regional conflicts will be greatly exacerbated by the climate crisis.”
Among the pieces of legislation chosen for advocacy was the Accelerate Solar for Affordable Power (ASAP) Act (A8758A Barrett / S6570A Harckham). This bill builds on the state’s success in building distributed solar resources (rooftop and community solar) by raising New York’s distributed solar goal, lowering the cost of solar projects through utility interconnection reforms, and continuing the state’s successful NY-Sun financing program. When combined with battery storage, the ASAP Act is projected to save New Yorkers $1 billion annually by 2035 while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, and helping to shield customers from gas price volatility.
To learn more and view the many environmental and justice organizations supporting this bill, visit https://www.nysolarroadmap.org/supporters. You can help pass this important legislation by contacting your legislators and asking them to support the ASAP Act. Solar United Neighbors has a letter-writing tool, which you can find here: https://act.solarunitedneighbors.org/a/build-solar-asap-ny.
For more information, please contact Laura Faulk on behalf of the Albany Presbytery’s Peacemaking Task Force.
