In New York City, 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions – the emissions that cause climate change – come from buildings burning fossil fuels. And studies show that climate change impacts communities of color the hardest, from extreme heat to flooding.
WE ACT for Environmental Justice has been working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially in our home base of Northern Manhattan.
As part of our Solar Uptown Now program, we installed 415 kW of solar panels on HDFC affordable housing co-ops, and trained community members to do the installations, creating good jobs in the process. We also helped install 1.2 MW of solar on the roofs of 40 New York City Housing Authority buildings, including Carver Houses in East Harlem, as part of the Community Power community solar project. And we have been advocating for legislation to reduce emissions, like Local Law 154 of 2021, which will ensure that new buildings built in our community are all electric and won’t burn fossil fuels.
NYSERDA IS A PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION COMMITTED TO ADVANCING ENERGY AND CLIMATE JUSTICE THROUGH INVESTMENTS IN OUR ECONOMY AND WORKFORCE THAT ADDRESS HISTORIC INEQUITIES AND IMPROVE HEALTH AND RESILIENCE FOR ALL NEW YORKERS, ESPECIALLY HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
The purpose of NYSERDA’s Regional Clean Energy Hubs is to help New York County residents, community organizations, and small businesses access and navigate – free of charge – the many opportunities created by this transition, including clean energy careers, renewable energy installations, energy efficiency improvements, and transportation alternatives.
The Manhattan Clean Energy Hub is a virtual resource backed by a team of trusted, knowledgeable, community-based organizations here in Manhattan. We have decades of experience with clean energy, energy efficiency, workforce and economic development, education, health, and housing. We are available to help individuals, nonprofits, small businesses, and affordable housing owners learn about the benefits of the clean energy economy, ways to reduce energy use and costs, and how to make more informed energy decisions.
The Hub can assist Manhattan residents, organizations, and businesses with:
- Learning about low and no-cost upgrades you can do to improve indoor air quality and reduce energy costs in your home, from insulation to induction stoves
- Understanding the clean energy economy, what it means for communities, and how you can benefit from it
- Explaining what types of energy incentives an individual or business may qualify for
- Assisting with accessing job training and employment in the clean energy sector
- Discussing a home energy assessment, why it would be useful, and how you can obtain one for free
- Finding a qualified contractor to perform clean energy upgrades, from installation an induction stove to insulating your home
- Locating a community solar program and help residents and businesses sign up for it
- Sharing information about electric vehicles (EV), charging stations, and filing EV rebates
