Sierra Club Delivers Over 1,000 Comments on Unlawful NY State Energy Plan to Hochul’s NYC Office - CleanTechnica

The Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter delivered over 1,000 public comments opposing New York State’s Draft Energy Plan to Governor Hochul’s NYC office, highlighting widespread concern that the plan undermines the state’s climate commitments and could increase energy costs for residents. The comments, the most submitted by any environmental group and third overall, were accompanied by in-person testimonies from over 50 Sierra Club members at hearings statewide. The organization’s Environmental Law Program also submitted a detailed critique, arguing that the draft plan weakens emission-reduction targets, delays decarbonization efforts, and relies too heavily on costly fossil fuels, which threatens both public health and climate resilience. Sierra Club leaders emphasized that the Draft Plan fails to meet the mandates of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) and lacks a viable funding mechanism for the clean energy transition that protects working families. They urged Governor Hochul to implement a Cap and Invest program to lower electricity bills and accelerate renewable energy adoption. The group also called for