Energy Conservation Under Attack

RE- Energy Conservation

[from a list]
New York Climate Rescue urgently asks for your help in maintaining a very important organization in NY. One of the reasons that New York State has been so progressive relative to other states on renewable energy and energy efficiency is the existence of NYSERDA - The New York State Energy Research & Development Authority. NYSERDA was created and funded through what is called the "Systems Benefit Charge" (SBC) which goes DIRECTLY to NYSERDA.

Well now the legislature is trying to get its hand on this money by re-directing the funding from the SBC to the general budget, meaning that NYSERDA will have to have its funding approved by the legislature through the yearly budget. This has ostensibly this is being done to "make NYSERDA accountable", but remeber that this is legislature which was judged to be the WORSE, most UNDEMOCRATIC state legislature in the country.

Please refer to an article published in the Albany Times Union:
(http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/storyprint.asp?StoryID=345100).

This change has the potential to disrupt and weaken the State's energy
efficiency and renewable programs. I would encourage you to contact
the legislature to express your concerns about the proposed changes.
Please forward this as widely as possible - the future of funding for renewable energy in New York State is in serious jeapordy!

Regards, Marc [NYCR]

The list of the key contacts is as follows:

Speaker Sheldon Silver
NYS Assembly
518-455-3791; 518-455-5459
faxspeaker@assembly.state.ny.us

Senator Joseph Bruno
Senate Majority Leader and President Pro Tem
518-455-3191; 518-455-2448
faxbruno@senate.state.ny.us

Assemblyman Paul Tonko
Chair, Energy Committee
518-455-5197; 518-455-5435
faxtonkop@assembly.state.ny.us

Senator James Wright
Chair, Energy Committee
518-455-2346; 518-455-2365
faxwright@senate.state.ny.us


Members of the GENERAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE (which leads the Legislature's efforts to reconcile differences between Assembly and Senate financial plans in order to
reach an agreement on a state budget for the 2005-2006 state fiscal
year):
Sheldon Silver (see above)

Assemblyman Herman D. Farrell,Jr.
518-455-5491; 518-455-5776
faxferrelh@assembly.state.ny.us


Assemblyman Paul A. Tokasz
518-455-5921; 518-455-3962
faxtokaszp@assembly.state.ny.us

Assemblywoman Rhoda S. Jacobs
518-455-5385; 518-455-3881
faxjacobsr@assembly.state.ny.us

Assemblyman Charles Nesbitt
518-455-3751; 518-455-3750
faxnesbitc@assembly.state.ny.us

Senator Joseph Bruno (see above)

Senator Owen Johnson 518-455-3411; 518-426-6973
faxojohnson@senate.state.ny.us

Senator Dean Skelos 518-455-3171; 518-426-6950
faxskelos@senate.state.ny.us

Senator Nicholas Spano
518-455-2800; 518-426-6906
faxspano@senate.state.ny.us

Senator David Paterson
518-455-2701; 518-455-2816
faxpaterson@senate.state.ny.us