Appendix 2: Summary of Climate Act Final Scoping Plan
The final scoping plan, based on over 20,000 public comments, provides a policy framework that will be translated into legislation, rules and programs over the next two years. Its main provisions are summarized below.
Transportation
The evolution of transportation systems and the State's investment in decreasing GHG emissions from transportation is vital to NY State’s climate action plan. In order to achieve emission goals set by the Climate Act, there will need to be a transition to zero-emission vehicles, as well as diversification of transportation methods and the promotion of more diverse, transit and pedestrian oriented land use
Vision for 2030
Nearly 100% of LDV sales and 40% or more of medium and heavy-duty (MHD) vehicle sales must be zero-emission
Substantial portion of personal transportation in urbanized areas would be required to shift to public transportation and other low-carbon modes
Investments in expanded public transportation and micro-mobility, enhanced bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure
As many as three million ZEVs (about 30% of LDVs and 10% of MHD vehicles) on the road by 2030
ZEV sales requirements and accompanying incentives
Significant increases in the availability of public transportation services and other zero-emission mobility alternatives in the State’s urbanized areas should help reduce VMT
Vision for 2050
The transportation sector will need to shift nearly completely to ZEVs while substantially increasing the use of low-carbon transportation modes like public transportation, walking, and biking that reduce the number of personal vehicle trip
LDVs and a large majority of MHD vehicles will be ZEVs. Marine operations and port facilities are envisioned to be zero-emission by 2050
Electrify sub sectors, such as aviation, freight rail, and potentially some MHD vehicles are expected to rely on green hydrogen and renewable biofuels (e.g., renewable jet fuel) to fully replace fossil fuel combustion if zero-emission applications are not feasible.
Strategies
Buildings
New York’s buildings sector encompasses over 6 million buildings. Both residential and commercial buildings consume energy in exchange for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, cooking, etc. The buildings sector of the Scoping plan focuses on the GHG emissions produced onsite at buildings, primarily from space and water heating.
Vision for 2030
One to two million energy-efficient homes should be electrified with heat pumps, and heat pumps should provide space heating and cooling for 10% to 20% of commercial space statewide
From 2030 onward, more than 250,000 New York homes and thousands more commercial buildings each year are expected to be retrofitted or constructed to be energy-efficient and to install heat pumps
The ensuing rapid market growth is projected to generate more than 100,000 new jobs in energy-efficient construction and clean heating and cooling
Vision for 2050
85% of homes and commercial building space statewide should be electrified with energy-efficient heat pumps and thermal energy networks
New York should have advanced a managed, phased, and just transition from reliance on fossil natural gas in buildings to a clean energy system
Embedded subsidies for fossil fuels will have been eliminated, and energy-efficient, zero-emission buildings will have become the most cost-effective option
Strategies
Electricity
The sector of Electricity comprises 13% of statewide emissions (Data from 2019). In 2021, renewable resources accounted for approximately 27% of the State’s electricity generation. Nuclear resources contributed about 24% of the electricity generation in the state. Fossil fuel generation still produced more than 47% of statewide electricity.
Vision for 2030
70% of statewide electricity come from renewable energy sources by 2030
10,000 MW of distributed solar and 6,000 MW of energy storage by 2030
Vision for 2050
By 2040, the Climate Act requires that the State achieve a zero-emission electricity system as well as 9,000 MW of offshore wind by 2035
State will need to incorporate load flexibility and other controls into the electric grid as sectors electrify in order to create a more manageable system
New and upgraded transmission and distribution systems will be needed statewide
Strategies
Industry
Making up only 9% of NY’s GHG emissions, Industry sector deals with manufacturing, mining, and quarrying.
Vision for 2030
The Climate Act requires 40% GHG emissions reductions economy wide from 1990 levels by 2030
Statewide energy efficiency of 185 trillion British thermal units (Btu) energy reduction from the forecast 2025 energy demand
Industry’s contribution to meeting these targets would be primarily with continued investment in energy efficiency and some limited electrification within the sector
Vision for 2050
Climate Act requirement of an economy wide 85% reduction in GHG emissions by 2050
Solutions to reduce emissions from industrial heat could include green hydrogen and/or alternative fuels, as well as carbon capture, use, and storage
Strategies
Agriculture and Forestry
The sector of Agriculture and Forestry encompasses livestock crops, dairy, timber, wood products, and bioeconomy products. The emissions of these sectors make up 6% of statewide emissions. The primary goals in this sector is the mitigation of agricultural GHG, specifically Methane and Nitrous oxide, as well as carbon sequestration through the planting and management of trees and other plant life.
Vision for 2030
The Agricultural sector will implement recommendations for livestock operations and cropland management
Both the agriculture and forestry sectors will undertake measures to facilitate broad carbon storage and sequestration
In order to achieve carbon sequestration and storage, New York will undertake the protection of farm lands, afforestation and reforestation efforts, improved forest management, cropland management, and long-term carbon storage
These actions will achieve approximately 30 million metric tons (MMT) carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) net sequestered annually
Vision for 2050
The 2050 goal of the Climate Act is to achieve net zero GHG emissions statewide and a required 85% reduction in GHG emissions. Emissions reductions beyond 85% of 1990 statewide levels can be achieved through approximately 60 MMT CO2e net annual sequestration in the forestry and agricultural sectors and related land use practices
Strategies
Waste
In New York State, more than 18 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) is generated each year, which equals 1,850 pounds for every person that lives in the State. MSW generated in New York is managed through recycling (including composting and other organics recycling), combustion, landfilling in-State, and export for landfilling or combustion out of State. Municipally owned wastewater treatment plants (water resource recovery facilities, or WRRFs) perform a critical function in protecting water quality. There are 612 publicly owned treatment works (also referred to as wastewater treatment facilities) that are owned by public entities in New York that serve 1,610 municipalities.
Vision for 2030
For solid waste management and WRRFs, the major contributors to emissions are associated with landfill emissions
To reduce emissions to achieve the required 2030 GHG emission reductions, significant increased diversion from landfills as well as emissions monitoring and leak reduction will be needed
Vision for 2050
The Climate Act requires a more dramatic decrease in GHG emissions by 2050, achieving at least an 85% reduction (compared with 1990 levels). For solid waste and WRRFs, this necessitates a dramatic shift in the way waste is managed, to the point that landfills and combustors are only used sparingly for specific waste streams, and reduction and recycling are robust and ubiquitous
Methods to monitor leaks and emissions are well developed and implemented, and those emissions are significantly reduced. The circular economy approach for materials management is fully implemented and embraced
Strategies
