PowerUp NYC is a collaborative, year-long planning study to catalyze City government action to clean up our air, make energy bills more affordable, create good-paying jobs, and create opportunities for local, community-owned clean energy.
Created in 2022, the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice launched this inclusive planning process to develop concrete actions City government can take over the next four years to put us on track to meeting our energy transition goals.
Through PowerUp NYC, MOCEJ is working with community leaders, New Yorkers, and energy experts to develop policy solutions and actionable strategies City government will advance in the next four years to achieve a just energy transition by 2050.
Equity and justice will be at the heart of NYC’s energy transition.
The PowerUp NYC report will recommend specific policies and programs City government can advance to clean up our air, make energy bills more affordable, create good-paying jobs, and present opportunities for local, community clean energy. The recommendations included in the report will be:
Affordability
NYC is committed to ensuring that our energy transition provides relief for the 1.5 million NYC residents currently struggling to pay their energy bills. A just energy transition means New Yorkers won’t have to choose between paying their utility bills and putting food on their table.
Sustainability
NYC is committed to achieving 100% clean electricity by 2040 and decarbonizing our buildings and transportation sectors by 2050. Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions will come hand in hand with reducing other forms of air pollution, creating a healthier and safer environment for all New Yorkers.
Resiliency
A more resilient energy system means fewer blackouts and a more equitable and vibrant city for the New Yorkers of today and generations to come.
NYC is adapting our energy systems to withstand the intensifying impacts of climate change, including extreme heat, sea level rise, and increasing rainfall and coastal storms.
PowerUp NYC includes three phases:
Extensive reports and analyses have already been published regarding the future of New York City’s energy system and the significant transformation that will be needed in the coming years to meet our climate and equity targets and mandates. The PowerUp NYC study will synthesize this existing body of work and integrate community feedback to inform specific pathways for City government action over the next four years to put us on track to meeting long-term energy goals.
However, in certain areas, more research is needed in order to make informed recommendations for City action. The following proposed research topics were chosen to be novel (e.g., they fill clear gaps in existing research and do not duplicate studies performed already or underway by others) and actionable (e.g., they yield findings that directly inform actionable strategies that can be taken by the City in the next four years).
Research Areas
In 2017, City Council passed Local Law 248 mandating the publication of a Long-Term Energy Plan every four years that reviews current and projected citywide energy supply and demand, and provides specific recommendations for integrating additional renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures citywide. PowerUp NYC will result in the publication of a final report that will serve as the first iteration of the Long-Term Energy Plan.
Several subsequent Local Laws mandated additional energy-related studies that will be conducted and integrated into the PowerUp NYC study.
Understanding and mapping wind energy generation potential within the five boroughs, particularly in waterfront areas and on tall buildings.
Assessing the replacement of fossil fuel power plants within the five boroughs with energy storage powered by renewables.
Studying the feasibility of installing utility-scale energy storage on private buildings throughout the city.
Understanding the feasibility of constructing different types of renewable energy sources combined with battery storage on Rikers Island.
Studying the technical feasibility of building electrification technologies and assessing the impacts of building electrification to grid reliability and resiliency.
We want to hear from you! We want to understand New Yorkers’ concerns about our current energy system and your most pressing energy priorities. We’re asking for your feedback on proposed actions City government can take to accelerate the energy transition. Fill out the survey.
Our most recent Community Town Hall was held in downtown Brooklyn on December 1, 2022. The Town Hall provided an opportunity for the public to learn about the progress of the study and to ask questions and provide feedback. Watch the recording.
In June 2022 we hosted five virtual Town Halls, with one tailored to each borough; recordings are linked below. Access the presentation slides here.
Sign up for our newsletter to get email alerts when our next Town Halls are scheduled or when new information is available on the website for public review.
Each Community Town Hall will be guided by the following principles:
Daily life pictures taken in Long Island City/Hunters Point on Wednesday, February 21, 2018. Benjamin Kanter/Mayoral Photo Office. This photograph is provided by the New York City Mayoral Photography Office (MPO) for the benefit of the general public and for dissemination by members of the media. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial materials, advertisements, emails, products or promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the City of New York, the Mayoral administration, or the de Blasio family without prior consent from the MPO ([email protected]). Any use or reprinting of official MPO photographs MUST use the following credit language and style: “Photographer/Mayoral Photography Office”, as listed at the end of each caption.
Thank you to everyone who attended the first round of PowerUp NYC Community Town Halls. We appreciate you taking the time to learn about this initiative and provide thoughtful questions and comments!
Over 250 attendees joined our virtual Community Town Hall sessions and shared their feedback on the direction of the study and their priorities for NYC’s energy future.
Sign up for our newsletter to get email alerts when our next round of Community Town Halls is scheduled or when new information is available on the website for public review. By submitting your information, you are giving us permission to email you. You may unsubscribe at any time.
On December 1, 2022, New Yorkers came together at this Community Town Hall to learn about challenges and opportunities for the clean energy transition, and to share their priorities for taking action.
On December 6, 2022, New Yorkers tuned into this Technical Session to learn about research underway to inform NYC's transition to 100% clean electricity, including how energy storage can help reduce reliance on power plants and how the City can support clean energy development on public land.
On December 7, 2022, New Yorkers tuned into this Technical Session to learn about research underway to inform NYC's transition to electric-powered buildings and vehicles, including overcoming affordability challenges for heat pumps and ensuring grid reliability as we electrify.
The PowerUp NYC team is working closely with a network of civic and community partners deeply invested in a better energy future for NYC.
MOCEJ is leading the PowerUp NYC process. MOCEJ integrates sustainability and resiliency into one coordinated approach across several climate and environmental offices under the leadership of Executive Director Kizzy Charles-Guzman. MOCEJ works to make our buildings efficient and resilient, our infrastructure climate ready, our streets and public realm as living, open spaces, and our energy clean and resilient. Through science-based analysis, policy and program development, and capacity building, MOCEJ leads the City’s efforts to ensure that New York City is both reducing its emissions and preparing to adapt and protect New Yorkers from the intensifying impacts of climate change.
To engage diverse NYC communities, MOCEJ has teamed up with five CBO Partners, one per borough, to help us lead and promote the Community Town Halls and to facilitate public conversations throughout the PowerUp NYC process. Each CBO Partner is receiving a stipend to support their participation. Our CBO Partners are:
MOCEJ established the ETWG for PowerUp NYC to bring key stakeholder groups together with City government to provide feedback throughout the research process and the development of the final report. ETWG members provide expertise that help guides the development of the final report.
Anne Reynolds / Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY)
Maritza Silva-Farrell / Alliance for Greater New York (ALIGN)
Ben Mandel / CALSTART
Kyle Kimball / Con Edison
Maureen Leddy / New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
Jessica Waldorf / New York State Department of Public Service (DPS)
Andy Darrell / Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)
Esther Toporovsky / NYC Housing Partnership
Cristina Garcia / Building Electrification Institute (BEI)
Bryan Grimaldi / National Grid
Sam Wilt / Natural Resources Defense Council
Jessica Lau / National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Bill Acker / New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST)
Shravanthi Kanekal / New York City Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC-EJA)
Kevin Lanahan / New York Independent System Operator (NYISO)
Julie Tighe / New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV)
Zack Dufresne / New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA)
Vlad Gutman-Britten / New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
Daniel Chu / PEAK Coalition
Richard Berkley / Public Utility Law Project of New York (PULP)
Zachary Steinberg / Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY)
Tom Wright / Regional Plan Association
Lovinia Reynolds / UPROSE
MOCEJ has partnered with a consultant team to support PowerUp NYC.
When we bring our voices, our action, and our advocacy to our schools, our homes, and our workplaces, we can create a more sustainable and resilient future for the 8.6 million people who call our five boroughs home.
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