New York State Senator Joseph Griffo is urging residents to participate in the public comment process for the state’s 2025 Draft Energy Plan. The State Energy Planning Board will use input from the public to help shape the Final State Energy Plan, which will guide energy policy and program development through 2040.
“This is an important opportunity for New Yorkers to help shape the state’s energy future,” Sen. Griffo said. “Public feedback is essential to developing a balanced approach that reflects the needs and priorities of our communities. I hope that residents across New York will express their thoughts and make their voices heard.”
The draft plan can be accessed at https://energyplan.ny.gov/. Written comments are being accepted via the website until October 6, 2025. Comments may also be submitted by email to nysenergyplan@nyserda.ny.gov with “comment” in the subject line, or mailed to NYSERDA at 17 Columbia Circle, Albany, NY 12203-6399.
In addition to written submissions, virtual and in-person public hearings are scheduled throughout September in locations including Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, Poughkeepsie, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Long Island. Details about these hearings are available at https://energyplan.ny.gov/Get-Involved/Hearings.
Senator Griffo has called on Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Energy Planning Board to add more hearings in Central New York, the Mohawk Valley, North Country, and Southern Tier regions. In a letter addressed to Governor Hochul and Doreen Harris—President and CEO of NYSERDA and chair of the energy board—Griffo wrote: “The residents of Central New York, the Mohawk Valley, the Southern Tier and the North Country face significant challenges due to rising energy costs,” Sen. Griffo wrote in a letter to Gov. Hochul and Doreen Harris, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) President and CEO and chair of the energy board, requesting additional public hearing locations. “They deserve to have the same opportunities to express themselves as others across the state.”
His letter continued: “While I recognize that there are opportunities for stakeholders to provide input through written comments or during statewide virtual sessions, I am concerned that there are no public hearings scheduled for Central New York, the Mohawk Valley, the Southern Tier and the North Country regions of the state.
To ensure that all New Yorkers are able to participate in this process and share their thoughts on the state’s draft energy plan, which should be your goal, I am asking you to consider additional in-person forums in these regions.
The residents of Central New York, the Mohawk Valley, the Southern Tier and the North Country face significant challenges due to rising energy costs. They deserve to have the same opportunities to express themselves as others across the state.”
