November3,2016

HonorableKathleenBurgess
SecretarytotheNewYorkStatePublicServiceCommission
AgencyBuilding3
EmpireStatePlaza
Albany,NY122231350

DearSecretaryBurgess:
TheCleanEnergyStandard(CES)isamajorstepforwardincombatingclimatechangebyrecognizing
andrewardingzerocarbonattributesofwind,solar,hydropowerandnuclearpowergeneration.

ItistheguidingmechanismtomovetheStateofNewYorkforwardonanaggressivegoalofachieving
50percentofourelectricalpowergenerationfromrenewableenergybytheyear2030.Boththe
goalandtheCESmechanismsforachievingthatgoalhavebeenheldupasamodelforotherStatesto
replicate.

EffortstochallengetheNYSCEShavebeenbroughtforwardbasedontheflawednotionthatthesole
motiveisthepreservationofjobsandtaxrevenues.

Whileover24,800jobs,$3billionannuallyingrossdomesticproductand$144millioninannualtax
revenuesareatriskfromlosingtheupstatenuclearsectorandofsignificantimportance,NewYorks
CESTier3zeroemissionscreditprogramforupstatenuclearavoidsacatastrophicincreaseinCO2
emissionsfromtheNewYorkgenerationsector.

Prematureclosureofthesecriticalcarbonfreefacilitieswillincreasegenerationsectoremissionsby
16,000,000tons;andessentiallywipeouttheentirecarbonreductionprogressrealizedfrom
20002015withintheNYISOrenewableenergymarket.

HigherSO2,NOxandmercuryemissionswillalsoimpacthumanhealthintheabsenceofoperation
fromthe90percentpluscapacityfactorsthatnuclearfacilitiesprovideannually,
ashighercarbonemittinginstatefacilitiesandelectricityimportswouldfillthatimmediatevoid.

ThesocietalpriceofcarbonformulaappliedtotheCESensurestheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency
calculatedperpersoncostisequitablybornbyeachofusintheurgentneedtoreducecarbon
emissionsinameasurablewaytopreventfurtherclimatechangecalamitiesthathavecosthundreds
ofbillionsofdollarstodate,alongwiththousandsoflostlives.

Nomatterhowitisexamined,economicallyorenvironmentally,theCleanEnergyStandardisan
unbiased,costeffective,climatesensitivepolicywithregardstosupportforzerocarbonpower
generation.TheCESwillhaveaprofoundpositiveimpactonboththeenvironmentandtheupstate
economy,andthereshouldbenoretreatonthiscriticalinitiative.

Therefore,thefollowingunionsoftheNewYorkStateAFLCIOstronglysupporttheCESissuedbythe
NYSPSConAugust1,2016.IfwetrulywanttokeepNewYorkseconomyflourishing,whileshifting
towardacleanerenvironment,wemustreaffirmourcommitmenttotheCleanEnergyStandard
establishedbytheNewYorkStatePublicServiceCommission.Wethankyouforyourattentionand
considerationinthismatter.

Sincerely,

MarioCilento,President

NewYorkStateAFLCIO

JamesCahill,President

NYSBuilding&ConstructionTradesCouncil

HenryGarrido,ExecutiveDirector

AFSCMEDC37

KarenMagee,President

NewYorkStateUnitedTeachers

EllenRedmond
InternationalRepresentative,IBEW

DannyDonohue,President
CSEA,AFSCMELocal1000

PaulPecorale,VicePresident

NewYorkStateUnitedTeachers

PeterWard,President

NewYorkHotel&MotelTradesCouncil

PatrickDolan,President
Steamfitters638UA

msa/opeiu153

AnthonySpeelman,President
UFCWLocal1500

WilfredoLarancuent
Laundry,Distribution&FoodServiceJt.Bd.
WorkersUnited