Power outages from Hurricane Sandy in New York City, 2012

The New York State Climate and Community Protection Act  was passed in the State Assembly on June 1 , and Inside Climate News calls it  “ the nation’s most ambitious climate change bill” .   The Bill was supported by NYC-Environmental Justice Alliance , as well as the Service Employees International Union.  It establishes aggressive mandates for ramping up the use of clean, renewable energy, and reducing climate pollution – and is most notable because it  prioritizes environmental justice goals. From the preamble,  it will:  “-shape the ongoing transition in the State’s energy sector to ensure that it creates good jobs and protects workers and communities that may lose employment in the current transition. -Setting clear standards for job quality and training standards encourages not only high-quality work but positive economic impacts; -prioritize the safety and health of disadvantaged communities, control potential regressive impacts of future climate change mitigation and adaptation policies on these communities.”