Governor Hochul Expands Programs to Help New Yorkers Lower Home Heating Costs, Increase Energy Supply and Strengthen Sustainable Infrastructure

New York State’s Sustainable Future Program Funding Will Deliver Savings for Families, Improve School Air Quality, and Accelerate Clean Energy Development Statewide

Announcement Part of Governor’s New CHARGE Agenda For Clean Energy Efforts

Agenda Includes Launching Energy Infrastructure Development Plan To Create An Actionable Blue Print to Build Grid of the Future

Governor Kathy Hochul today continues to highlight Climate Week by announcing the plan for the second installment of her landmark Sustainable Future Program. This direct investment of nearly $1 billion will save New York families money, reduce building emissions, improve air quality throughout the state and specifically in schools, and grow renewable energy generation and infrastructure within the state.

The funding is part of Governor Hochul’s Clean, Highly Affordable, Reliable, Grid Expansion (CHARGE) agenda also announced today and designed to continue New York’s role as a national clean energy and climate leader. Also as part of the CHARGE agenda, the Governor is announcing the Energy Infrastructure Development Plan (EIDP), creating a new approach to energy planning as the State confronts an unprecedented surge in energy demand driven by manufacturing, electrification, and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence.

“Our smart approach to sustainability will help lower home heating costs for more New Yorkers, increase statewide energy supply, and create good jobs,” Governor Hochul said. “My administration will continue working with all stakeholders to deliver on our agenda for sustainability, affordability and stronger communities.”

This year’s $1 billion for the Sustainable Future Program matches the largest investment in climate action in state history that was set by the Governor just a year ago and will allocate funding to key areas of the state's climate plan to help make the energy transition more affordable for all New Yorkers. The funding plan for this year includes:

Building Decarbonization & Energy Cost Savings ($500 Million Total)

• EmPower+ Program ($150 Million): Delivers no-cost home energy assessments, efficiency upgrades, and heat pump installations for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers to permanently lower home heating and cooling costs.
• Affordable Green Transition for Housing ($150 Million): Assists eligible homes with affordable energy-efficient upgrades, including heat pumps, by directing $40 million to fill federal funding gaps in the Weatherization Assistance Program, $10 million for all-electric multifamily housing, and $100 million for the Clean Energy Initiative, including $20 million for NYCHA and $30 million for Mitchell-Lama housing.
• Clean Green Schools Program ($50 Million): Upgrades under-resourced public school facilities to reduce carbon emissions and significantly improve indoor air quality for students and teachers.
• Thermal Energy Network Projects ($150 Million Total): Funds utility-scale thermal energy networks to transition neighborhoods to clean heating and cooling systems. These projects enable utility customers to use thermal energy without fossil fuels, providing affordable and clean solutions for space heating and cooling, and domestic hot water needs. These projects significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings.

Expanding Affordable Renewable Energy ($300 Million Total)

• NY-Sun Program ($200 Million): Expands solar incentives for single-family homes, multifamily buildings, businesses, and local municipalities to boost clean power production and reduce electric utility bills.
• NYPA Renewables ($100 Million): Enables the New York Power Authority to finance public renewable energy projects.

Methane Reduction & Agricultural Resiliency

• Municipal Recycling & Food Waste ($25 Million): Provides grants to local governments for wasted food reduction, food donation, and municipal composting.
• Climate Resilient Farming & Urban Forestry: Allocates $25 million to help farmers implement soil health and methane-reduction technology, and $12.5 million to expand urban tree canopies and restore state forest health.
• Parks, Public Lands & Community Stewardship ($25 Million Total): Funds land acquisition for state forests and parks alongside infrastructure repairs for public campgrounds, trails, pools, and recreational facilities.

Energy Infrastructure Development Plan

The Governor’s Energy Infrastructure Development Plan announced today will update New York's energy planning process with an actionable blueprint designed to cut through red tape and match resources with economic growth. Governor Hochul is directing the New York State Energy Planning Board to engage in comprehensive integrated planning to ensure the State has a clear and actionable perspective on the infrastructure it needs to reliably meet demand. The plan will guide the infrastructure investment decisions by the State over the coming decades.

Under the new approach, New York will set a course for the State’s energy system that maximizes the benefits of investments in our energy system, leverages the tools available to the State including neighborhood-scale alternatives, distributed solar, and energy storage, and coordinates the development of new utility-scale clean generation and transmission. The EIDP will ensure the lights stay on and that progress towards a zero-emission grid continues all while controlling costs. The EIDP process kicks off this year as part of the State Energy Plan, with an Interim Plan due in 2027 and the first comprehensive plan finalized by December 2029. New York will carry out new EIDPs as part of the ongoing State Energy Planning process thereafter.

The Sustainable Future Program and the EIDP are prime examples of Governor Hochul taking CHARGE of New York’s energy future. The CHARGE agenda is a five-pronged framework of aggressive clean energy and affordability measures designed to keep the lights on and costs down for everyday New Yorkers.

The CHARGE Agenda is focused on:

• Driving Down Costs: Launching a one-time $1 billion energy rebate program for more than 8 million New Yorkers -- with checks going out beginning this week and continuing through December -- to help those struggling with higher utility costs and prices at the pumps.The Governor also successfully pushed a Ratepayer Protection Plan to hold utilities more accountable by tying CEO pay directly to affordability, requiring rate hike requests include a budget-constrained option, refusing mid-project bailouts, and prohibiting use of ratepayer dollars on hidden costs like lobbying, executive travel and political donations.
• Holding Energy Companies and Data Centers Accountable: Governor Hochul placed the nation’s first statewide moratorium on new hyperscale data centers to allow time to develop regulations that protect communities, the environment and the energy grid. The Governor is also demanding data center developers provide their own power sources or pay higher rates to meet their massive energy demands so everyday New Yorkers don't foot the bill.
• Building Clean Energy at Scale: Expanding large-scale renewables, investing $200 million in distributed solar in 2026 alone, and launching an ambitious 8.4GW “Nuclear Backbone” initiative empowering the New York Power Authority to build new, around-the-clock emission-free nuclear power.
• Modernizing NY’s Aging Grid: Executing a multi-billion dollar transmission buildout that has already added nearly 1,000 miles of grid infrastructure by slashing permitting timelines by 50%, backed by a $3.81 billion commitment to scale energy storage.
• Creating a Clean Economy: Investing in generational workforce development and setting nation-leading labor standards to greatly expand on the 184,000 clean energy jobs New York has created as of 2024, among the most in the country.