A state program that helps low-to-moderate income homeowners boost energy efficiency and save money on bills is being slashed.
The state’s clean energy agency, NYSERDA revealed last month the budget for the EmPower + program will be cut from roughly $220 million this year to $80 million by 2027 - a drop of more than 60%, as first reported by NY Focus.
Not only will that leave tens of thousands of homeowners unable to make upgrades to their homes, but it will also negatively impact local workers making those upgrades according to Clarke Gocker, the Senior Director of Movement Building at affordable housing advocacy group, PUSH Buffalo.
"Program administrators have already begun throttling program enrollments by disallowing contractors direct customer referrals into the program," Gocker said. "We are calling on Governor Hochul and New York state leaders to sustain the progress the Empower + program has made in recent years and invest $400 million over the next two years to protect the program and ensure it responds to demand as New York families struggle to make ends meet."
Marcel Stokes, a West Side resident and retiree, echoed that call. With every major corporate gas utility in New York hiking rates since 2022, he explained the program is vital to offset energy costs for older adult and young homeowners.
"I came into no Empower + through PUSH program and because of the high gas bills that I have received at the end of every year. You know, the house is beautiful, but weatherization is a very important part for people like myself to sustain their quality cost of living," Stokes said.
Ellen Shareef runs C&R Housing, a local company that installs insulation through the program. She said that over recent months, the state has approved fewer projects, stalling those in the pipeline. But the cuts will have further consequences for her business.
"We also do carpentry so we would be able to pivot, but we would definitely have to cut some of our staff," she said. "My guys are not getting 40 hours a week, and they haven't been for two or three months now."
In response to this story, a spokesperson for Hochul told BTPM NPR the governor is "laser-focused on keeping energy affordable for New Yorkers,” and added Hochul has "directed NYSERDA to look at all options to preserve programs like EmPower for the families who need it most."
