Opinion: Rochester Needs Climate Funding in 2025

By Dan Maloney, president UAW Local 1097; Christina Christman, president, Federation of Social Workers; Dr. Michi Cole Wenderlich, campaign and policy coordinator, Metro Justice; Graham Hughes, director of policy and advocacy, Climate Solutions Accelerator; and Assembly Member Harry B. Bronson (AD-138)

Rochester is again leading the country, but not in ways we want. Our city has one of the highest child poverty rates in the country (over 40 percent in 2024), a median household income of just $46,000, and one of the worst asthma rates in the U.S. Last year, Rochester ranked as the second worst “Asthma Capital” in the country. Also, Rochester has now the third-highest in energy burden in the nation. At the same time, we are experiencing climate crises firsthand—wildfires, flash freezes, and polar vortices that destabilize our health and local economy.

In light of these challenges, New York has a unique opportunity to act this year to address the intertwined affordability, housing, public health, and job equity crises jointly through climate funding. As one of the largest states and biggest economies in the United States, New York can lead the nation in building a renewable economy that improves housing quality, health, and jobs for everyone while holding corporate polluters accountable for funding it. Two key policies, the “cap-and-invest” program and the NY HEAT Act, could bring billions of dollars to the state to invest in clean energy, housing upgrades, and workforce development, all while holding corporate polluters accountable.

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If New York secures climate funding in this budget, with legislative oversight about how money is spent, it could be transformational for New York. Had a properly regulated cap-and-invest program already been in effect, a DEC and NYSERDA analysis estimated revenue to be between $3 billion and $5.1 billion in 2025.

Recent research conducted by New York City Environmental Justice Alliance and Resources for the Future shows a cap-and-invest program would save most homes an average of $400 a year, but some scenarios showing families could save up to $2,000 a year, making housing and energy more affordable for everyone, especially those making under $200,000 a year.

Read the full op-ed here.