NY Climate Tech: July 11 - July 18
State climate action, three (!) Wednesday happy hours, an art opening at New Lab, and over a dozen other events in NY this week
Hi all,
We’ve got a full plate this week! Start your Tuesday bright and early at the UN discussing the Sustainable Development Goals and end your night with a Women and Climate dinner in Soho! There’s no shortage of mid-week happy hours with events hosted by the DER Task Force, Young Energy Professionals, and Keep Cool. On Thursday, check out the LEAP programs on harnessing data to revolutionize climate projects at the Columbia Innovation Lab or check out the latest climate art exhibition at New Lab. Relax over the weekend with the Effective Environmentalism crew at Central Park, the WeAct member BBQ, or check out the 60 (!) fun events across the region for City of Water Day! And as always, we look forward to seeing you all for the NY Climate Tech happy hour at Madison Square Park later this month. Stay cool 😎
Cheers,
Alec and Sonam
Hot Take: The Empire State Standing Tall on Climate Action
As we watch so much gridlock at the federal level when it comes to robust climate action, it’s important to remember that New York is the 10th largest economy in the world - we are not only policymakers, but also marketmakers when it comes to leading a just transition!
In 2019, New York State passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, the country’s most ambitious legislation to address climate change. The sweeping measures to reduce our carbon footprint and improve the resiliency of communities are overseen by The Climate Action Council and The Climate Justice Working Group, both composed of state officials, industry representatives, climate activists, and scientists. The 331 page plan - currently on a roadshow across the state - will be finalized this year and outlines goals to restructure the state’s economy, housing, and transportation, all while doing so equitably for communities most impacted by climate change.
Wind turbines along the coast of Lake Erie in Buffalo, New York. Photo from Shutterstock.
Here are the headlines:
An 85% reduction in emissions across the board by 2050, with the remainder offset by reforestation, carbon sequestration, and other measures.
Transition to a 70% renewable grid by 2030 and 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040.
Increase 9,000 MW of offshore wind, 6,000 megawatts of solar, and 3,000 megawatts of energy storage by 2035.
Only zero-emission passenger vehicles can be sold in NY starting in 2035, with medium and heavy duty trucks following by 2045.
New York State’s goal is to reach 70% renewable energy by 2030. Chart by NYSERDA.
“If we have the nation’s most aggressive climate law,” said Basil Seggos, Commissioner of the State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Council Co-Chair, “we want to be the nation’s leader on its implementation.”
On that front, the State is already making headways:
$175 million of funding is available to ramp up the number of publicly available EV chargers across the state (for those counting, we’re at 9,500 today)
$700 million is available in incentives to help homes and businesses reduce their building emissions and replace their HVAC systems with all-electric heat pumps
The NYS Pension Fund has committed $2 billion to the Climate Transition Index, focused on reducing the risks of climate change and capitalizing on the opportunities arising from the transition to a low-carbon economy.
NYSERDA has committed funding to over 120 large-scale renewable projects totaling 14,500+ MW, enough to power over 5.2 million homes.
NY is now the top community solar market in the US, with 1 GW of community solar installed and operational, with line of sight toward its goal of 10 GW by 2030.
PSC announced contracts to support the largest renewable energy and transmission project in the state, delivering solar, wind, and hydropower from upstate New York and Canada into New York City and facilitating $8.2 billion in economic development across the state.
New transmission lines will bring power from Quebec and upstate into New York City by 2035. Image by S&P Global.
This is the type of bold action on climate we so often talk about, yet don’t often see. And the good news: we’re just getting started!
By Sonam Velani
Events This Month
This Week
Later This Month
🖼 Art & the Environment: Artist Talk: Tatiana Arocha & Sarah Cameron Sunde
Pathways for Achieving Zero Energy – Small to Medium Office Buildings
For the Early Birds
🙋🏽♀️ Women and Climate Summit
🇺🇳 Reimagining Our World & Future Together
When: Tue, July 12 from 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM EDT
Where: United Nations Headquarters, 405 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017
This event will address systemic gaps and the value of improving social safety nets and partnerships (SDG 17) to ensure resilience - including among the most vulnerable - and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
👩🔧 Women and Climate NYC Networking Dinner
When: Tue, July 12 from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM EDT
Where: LuAnne's Wild Ginger, 380 Broome Street, New York, NY 10013
If you are looking for an opportunity to talk climate with individuals identifying as women, you are in the right place! No climate experience necessary.
⚡️ DER Task Force NYC Happy Hour
When: Wed, July 13 from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM EDT
Where: Urban Energy, 116 Ainslie Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Join us at Urban Energy's office for our monthly hang on the second Wednesday of each month. There isn't a reoccurring agenda, but we may have guests or topics to discuss for particular events.
🍻 Young Energy Professionals NYC July Happy Hour
When: Wed, July 13 from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM EDT
Where: Bon Courage, 78 Reade Street, New York, NY 10007
YPE NYC is hosting an in-person happy hour! Please join YPE NYC and the energy community for an evening of casual drinks. Come grab a drink with us and discuss the latest in the NYC energy world with professionals from the utility, power, energy finance, law, and policy community.
🏗 Building Energy Exchange: A Conversation with NYC Council Member Jim Gennaro
When: Wed, July 13 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM EDT
Where: Online & Building Energy Exchange (Invite-Only for In-Person)
Council Member Gennaro has marked experience, leading the NYC Council for years on environmental policy and sustainability, serving as Chairman of the Committee on Environmental Protection and notably authoring many groundbreaking pieces of legislation, including over 50 environmental and public health-related local laws.
💄Beauty Inside Out Working Group with WeAct
When: Wed, July 13 from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM EDT
Where: Contact for Details
Our new Beauty Inside Out Working Group consists of members interested in working together to raise awareness of toxic substances in personal care and beauty products while promoting policies that remove these substances and products from the market. Contact Sophia Huda at sophia@weact.org for more details.
⚖️ Generating Change for a Just Grid
When: Wed, July 13 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM EDT
Where: Online
WE ACT for Environmental Justice and the State Energy & Environmental Impact Center invite you to a discussion of important changes underway at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on how the electric transmission system is planned and who pays.
🏢 Climate Mobilization Act Primer
When: Wed, July 14 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM EDT
Where: Online
Get informed on New York City climate legislation and its impact on buildings. Register now for the Climate Mobilization Act Primer, a one-hour seminar examining the basic principles of the Climate Mobilization Act and offering actionable guidance for building decision makers.
🧊 Keep Cool Happy Hour
When: Thu, July 14 from 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM EDT
Where: Bar Veloce (East Village), 175 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10002
Join climate tech curious and climate conscious folks at Keep Cool’s first official in-person meet up. There'll be opportunities to network, learn from entrepreneurs and operators, and of course to kick back and enjoy a beverage.
🤖 LEAP Open House
When: Thu, July 14 from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM EDT
Where: Columbia Innovation Hub, 2276 12th Avenue, Room 202, New York, NY 10027
The LEAP (Learning the Earth with AI and Physics) Science and Technology Center invites you to our first Open House at the Columbia Innovation Hub. LEAP STC draws on a continuum of expertise in climate science and climate modeling to cutting-edge machine learning algorithms. In this open house, you will learn about LEAP’s research projects, and hear about experiences of current LEAP student participants.
⎶ NEW INC and Newlab present: Under, Over, Through
When: Thu, July 14 from 2:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT
Where: Newlab at 19 Morris Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205
Under, Over, Through is a group exhibition of artworks created by the artists in NEW INC’s Creative Science Track. Impermanence and uncertainty are the contours for this decade’s historic turn. Under, Over, Through suggests these contours as a throughline for history, before and after intelligent life.
🌳 Effective Environmentalism NYC Picnic
When: Sat, July 16, from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM EDT
Where: Central Park, Frisbee Hill, 40 E. 73rd St, New York, NY 10019
Stop by Frisbee Hill July 16/17 for relaxing, chatting, snacking, and sunbathing with the Effective Environmentalism community! For those new to Effective Environmentalism (EE), EE is about using evidence to carefully analyze how, given limited resources, we can *most* reduce environmental issues. Learn more here!
🛶 City of Water Day 2022
When: Sat, July 16 from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM EDT
Where: New York City, Westchester, and New Jersey
A day to raise awareness about current and future impacts of climate change and sea level rise, and to celebrate the waters that surround us, City of Water Day includes more than 60 In Your Neighborhood events at the waterfront across all five boroughs, Westchester, and New Jersey, all coordinated by the New York–New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program. See all the events here!
🍗 2022 WeAct Environmental Justice Membership BBQ
When: Sat, July 16 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Where: 155 West 142 Street
Join us for our “Beat the Heat” Membership BBQ. We’re planning a day of food, fun, and games. So, if you are a member, please RSVP here so we know how much food to prepare. If you’re not a member, sign up today (or at the event) and join us for the BBQ!
Join the Fun!
Submit Events
We know all of you are cooking up great events across New York that highlight the latest and greatest in our collective effort to save our city - and our planet! 🌍 We would love to spread the word. Please share any event details and we'll add them to the list.
Volunteer
We're excited to grow the Climate Tech community in cities across the globe - starting right here in our hometown of New York! 🗽 What started as an 8-person mid-pandemic outdoor dinner has since morphed into a 850+ strong and ever-growing group of rockstars trying to change the world. We're looking for volunteers to help us expand our programming into a full roster of community-wide meetups, subject-specific events, mentorship programs, site visits, and more. We aim to be a community resource - built for and by our community. Share your thoughts and we look forward to working with you!