CONSERVATION GROUPS URGE
LEGISLATURE TO LET VETO STAND & PREVENT CHANGE TO RENEWABLE
ENERGY, ACID RAIN PROGRAMS
Attorney General & Comptroller Agree that Programs are
Well-Managed Already
For more information:
John F. Sheehan
518-432-1770 (ofc)
518-441-1340 (cell)
518-456-4512 (home)
Released: Monday, April 24, 2006
ALBANY, N.Y. – Three of
New York’s largest environmental organizations today called
on state lawmakers not to override Governor Pataki’s veto
of a budget change that threatened the integrity of two vital
environmental programs.
In the budget passed at the beginning
of April, the Legislature changed the funding plan for the NYS
Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), in an attempt
to gain year-to-year control over the Authority’s spending.
But NYSERDA runs two programs for which multi-year funding of
grants is crucial. Annual delays caused by budget debates could
interrupt more than 20 years of continuously collected acid rain
and mercury contamination research, as well as endanger plans
to develop renewable energy systems, the groups said.
Today, the Adirondack Council,
Audubon New York and Citizens Campaign for the Environment, called
on the Legislature not to override Governor Pataki’s veto
(Line Veto #77). They asked the Legislature to leave the funding
decisions in the hands of NYSERDA for the System Benefits Charge
(SBC) and the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) portions of
the state budget.
The groups pointed to support
for their positions from two prominent statewide officials: Comptroller
Alan Hevesi and Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, both of whom
have issued statements calling the programs well-managed as they
are currently operated. Spitzer this morning issued a statement
calling on the Legislature to let stand the vetoes on the SBC
and RPS.
The SBC is a small fee on the
electric bills of customers, which is then dedicated to environmental
programs. The RPS is a program that funds renewable energy development.
It is currently overseen by NYSERDA, NYS Public Service Commission
and its citizens’ advisory committee.
Under the Legislature’s
changes, all of the money generated by the SBC would go to the
state’s General Fund. Each year, the Legislature would decide
whether to spend it on environmental programs and how.
“The SBC is the source of
funding for the state’s Long-Term Monitoring Program for
Evaluating Changes in Water Quality in Adirondack Lakes,”
stated Brian L. Houseal, Executive Director of the Adirondack
Council. “This monitoring program has been a vital tool
in assessing the impacts of clean air laws and regulations for
over 20 years. Interruptions in collecting this data will call
into question all of our research and make it that much harder
to gather support for new regulations.”
Houseal added: “Just last
week, the New York State Comptroller released an audit of administration
of the SBC and found that the authority was operating appropriately.”
“It is clear from the Comptroller’s
report that they SBC funds are being administered well by the
state agencies responsible for the program,” stated David
J. Miller, Executive Director of Audubon New York. “We are
hopeful, now that this audit has shown that NYSERDA and PSC are
acting responsibly in utilizing the SBC funds for important environmental
programs, the Legislature will not override the Governor’s
veto.”
The Renewable Portfolio Standard
was implemented by the PSC to secure 25 percent of New York’s
energy from renewable sources by 2013. The RPS and SBC provide
stable and predictable funding – critical factor underlying
the success of these programs. Stable funding allows NYSERDA
to enter into multi-year contracts necessary to attract renewable
energy facilities in New York State and to implement commercial-scale
energy efficiency projects.
“Allocation of SBC funds
through the annual legislative process will undoubtedly generate
uncertainty about funding from year to year and consequently
jeopardize important advances in energy efficiency and renewable
energy development,” said William C. Cooke, Government Liaison
Director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “New
York is poised to be a leader in advancing energy efficiency
and developing renewable energy – the Legislature should
not override the SBC veto to ensure our children breathe cleaner
air and have lakes from which they can actually eat the fish.”
Last week, the New York State
Comptroller released an audit of the administration of the SBC
(“New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
and the Public Service Commission, Administration of the System
Benefits Charge” Report 2005-S-16) which found that “The
Authority has established good controls to ensure that SBC funds
are expended on authorized programs and used to achieve the goals
set by the Commission.” Today, Attorney General Spitzer
issued a statement calling on the Legislature not to override
the RPS/SBC veto.
The Adirondack Council’s
mission is to ensure the ecological integrity and wild character
of the Adirondack Park. Founded in 1975, the Council is an 18,000-member,
privately funded, not-for-profit organization with offices in
Albany and Elizabethtown and with members in all 50 United States.
Audubon New York, the 50,000
member state program of the National Audubon Society, is dedicated
to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports
them. Our national network of community-based nature centers
and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy
on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage
millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in positive conservation
experiences.
Citizens Campaign for the
Environment (CCE) is an 80,000 member, non-profit, non-partisan,
advocacy organization working to protect public health and the
natural environment throughout New York State and Connecticut.
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