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Affordability, Economic Development, Governor Kathy Hochul, Housing, Infrastructure, New York State politics, News & Photo Features

Governor Hochul Rallies Statewide Support for “Let Them Build” Agenda to Address Housing Crisis, Critical Infrastructure

Common Sense Reforms to State Environmental Quality Review Act Will Speed Up Building of Housing Localities Want While Preserving Environmental Safeguards

Agenda Will Cut Red Tape That Delays the Building of Critical Infrastructure like Clean Water, Green Infrastructure, and Parks

State Will Establish Clear Timelines for Environmental Review, Standardize and Simplify Review Process, and Expedite Major Projects

Builds on Governor’s Historic Agenda To Address New York’s Housing Crisis and Make the State More Affordable and Livable for All New Yorkers

Governor Kathy Hochul is rallying state-wide support for her “Let Them Build” agenda to address the housing shortage and critical infrastructure © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Governor Kathy Hochul rallied with local leaders from across the state to highlight her “Let Them Build” agenda, a series of landmark reforms to speed up housing and infrastructure development and lower costs as part of her 2026 State of the State. This initiative will spur a series of common sense reforms to New York’s State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and executive actions to expedite critical projects that have consistently been found to not have significant environmental impacts, but caught up in red tape and subject to lengthy delays. Together, these actions will make it easier to build the housing and infrastructure that localities want.

The Governor’s proposal has now secured the backing of the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC), the New York State Association of Towns (NYAOT), and the New York State Conference of Mayors (NYCOM), along with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and dozens of other local elected officials from communities across New York.

“For far too long needless, outdated red tape has stood in the way of the housing and infrastructure that New Yorkers need to address the housing crisis and make life more affordable in communities across our state,” Governor Hochul said. “New York is a place defined by our boundless ambition — we are a state that builds. It is time that we cut the red tape that too often slows down projects and let communities build, so we can offer all New Yorkers the more affordable and livable state that they deserve and attract new residents who want to call New York home.”

Today, it is too difficult to build major projects in New York: manufacturing, housing and energy projects can take as much as 56 percent longer in New York State to get from concept to groundbreaking compared to peer states. Longer projects mean higher costs, a challenge that is especially critical in New York’s housing crisis, where the only solution to high costs and scarce homes is to build more housing faster and cheaper than before. According to a report from the Citizens Budget Commission, red tape increases the cost to build a unit of housing in New York City by as much as $82,000 per unit. Similarly, burdensome requirements delay needed investment in clean water infrastructure, child care centers, and parks.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said, “We cannot address our housing crisis without making it easier to build housing in New York City. Environmental review reform would bring our regulations into the 21st century and ensure we can deliver an affordability agenda on the timetable needed. I commend Governor Hochul for this commonsense proposal and hope it will be a part of the enacted state budget this year. New Yorkers can’t wait any longer for action on housing.”

New York State Association of Counties Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario said,“Counties across New York State recognize that the State Environmental Quality Review Act plays an important role in protecting our natural resources and communities, but we also know that the current SEQR process can be overly complex, time-consuming, and costly — often delaying housing and infrastructure projects that have little or no environmental impact. We welcome the Governor’s review of the SEQR framework and look forward to working with her and the Legislature to modernize the process in a way that preserves strong environmental protections while allowing counties and municipalities to deliver the housing and infrastructure New Yorkers urgently need.”

New York State Conference of Mayors Executive Director Barbara Van Epps said, “NYCOM applauds Governor Hochul for her efforts to streamline the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) process, while preserving local control. SEQRA was designed to protect the environment, but it has too often been used to delay or block projects that would deliver clear environmental and community benefits. These targeted reforms would strike an important balance by expediting projects with minimal environmental impact while allowing communities to move forward with critical investments in housing, water and wastewater infrastructure, and other essential services.”

“The New York Association of Towns supports the governor’s effort to cut red tape and modernize the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA),” said New York Association of Towns’ Executive Director Christopher A. Koetzle. “We look forward to our continued partnership with the governor and our shared work together helping local governments become more efficient while still ensuring the integrity of the land-use review process.”

Helping Our Communities Build Housing We Need

One of the Downtown Revitalization Projects in Hicksville, Long Island, tied to the Long Island Railroad Third Rail and transit-oriented development, presented at Vision Long Island’s Smart Growth Summit. Governor Kathy Hochul is proposing to eliminate the red tape that has delayed and raised costs of housing and infrastructure development.  © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

When Governor Hochul took office, she vowed to tackle the housing crisis and bring down costs by building the housing that New Yorkers desperately need so that more hard working households and families can afford a place to call home. However, too much critically-needed affordable housing development is forced to navigate a web of red tape created by state mandates that add unnecessary costs and years of needless delays, despite such housing development consistently being found to have no significant environmental impact. Studies have quantified how State-mandated environmental review can slow down housing projects by an average of two years, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars per project, at a time when New Yorkers can least afford the wait for the housing they need to continue to live and thrive in New York.

To speed up the development of housing to create a more affordable and sustainable New York, Governor Hochul is proposing to amend the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) to exempt certain types of housing that have no significant impacts on the environment from additional SEQRA review. Housing exempted from SEQRA will still be required to comply with crucial State regulatory and permit requirements governing water use, air quality, environmental justice, and protection of natural resources. The proposal does not supersede local zoning and other permitting requirements, and exempted housing also must be located outside of flood risk areas in order to qualify.

Years of experience in both New York City and across the state, involving more than a thousand projects, has shown that virtually none of such projects ultimately were found to have significant environmental impacts, but nevertheless were still subject to lengthy reviews. These reforms will accelerate the delivery of much needed housing and reduce the cost of building in ways that are consistent with sustainable and environmentally-protective development, driving down the cost of housing and rents across the state while protecting our natural resources.

“We’re not eliminating local review permits or approvals. And we’re not saying anything goes,” Governor Hochul stated.” What we are saying, and I’ll repeat it. When a community says yes, they know that it’ll not impact the government, that the State is going to step out of the way and let them go forward and build. And right here in New York City, we can significantly speed up construction of housing units up to 250 citywide.

“But in areas that are medium and higher density, up to 500 units without having to go through this redundant review. And of course they have to comply with preliminary environmental regulations, State and local law permitting. None of that’s changing, but my reformers will be a game changer and send a strong message to communities and developers alike. We are open for business and just like all the other challenges I approach, as I mentioned, I approach this one with urgency. I am impatient as our New Yorkers, we cannot wait anymore. And those who oppose us, who want to keep the status quo. You explain that to the family living in a homeless shelter, waiting for a home. You explain your opposition to the young couple who wanted to start a family here in New York, but can’t.”

Accelerating Critical Infrastructure Projects That New Yorkers Depend On

Governor Hochul also has proposed to facilitate the speedier, cheaper delivery of a broad range of beneficial infrastructure projects that New Yorkers depend on. Specifically, the Governor has proposed to adjust SEQRA’s classifications to exempt the following important categories of infrastructure that meet specific criteria from additional SEQRA review to start serving New Yorkers faster:

  • Clean Water Infrastructure: Critical water infrastructure that avoids impacts to natural resources.
    • Green Infrastructure: Nature-based storm water management.
    • Parks and Trails: Public parks and recreational bike/pedestrian paths
    • Child Care: New or renovated child care centers

Governor Hochul’s proposal would reserve these fast-track environmental review processes for only infrastructure that would be located at previously disturbed areas, protecting our natural resources and undisturbed lands, while strengthening our neighborhoods. The Governor’s approach would yield tangible environmental benefits including improved air and water quality, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and the preservation of critical habitats when compared to policies which encourage sprawl and unchecked development of natural areas.

Currently SEQRA review timelines vary greatly across projects, creating unpredictability for local communities, project sponsors, and state agencies alike. To cut through the red tape, Governor Hochul has proposed to:

  • Deliver faster decisions for local communities by setting clear timelines for environmental impact statements and driving accountability
    • Streamline environmental impact statements to cut down on review timelines for key categories of projects
    • Modernize New York’s permitting processes to save time and money for localities by improving processes and utilizing new technologies
    • Expedite major state infrastructure projects to serve New Yorkers faster
    • Support local communities through a new permitting academy

New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said,“New Yorkers desperately need more opportunities to rent apartments and buy homes they can afford. The SEQRA reforms outlined in the Governor’s Let Them Build agenda will deliver that by bringing clarity, speed, and fairness to the process of increasing housing supply and building the infrastructure and community resources that go along with it. The changes and modernization that the Governor is proposing will reduce the time it takes to get shovels in the ground by more than fifty percent while continuing to preserve and protect our natural resources. This is a brilliant idea that will make an enormous difference toward creating the homes and the thriving communities that people deserve.”

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said,“Governor Hochul’s ‘Let Them Build’ agenda is centered around incentivizing doing the right thing, avoiding impacts to natural resources, by driving development to previously disturbed sites. Common-sense reforms to SEQRA will speed up the delivery of zoned and permitted affordable housing and other critical infrastructure projects that New Yorkers need, and secure more certainty in environmental review timelines on vital transportation improvements, municipal infrastructure, and other projects benefitting local communities. The Governor’s approach will yield tangible environmental benefits compared to policies that encourage sprawl and unchecked development of natural areas.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “Governor Hochul’s ‘Let Them Build’ agenda is a critical step toward delivering the housing, infrastructure, and clean energy projects to benefit all New Yorkers. By modernizing environmental review, setting clear and accountable timelines, and removing unnecessary barriers while maintaining strong environmental protections, these reforms will lower costs, speed responsible development, and strengthen communities throughout the state.”

Governor Hochul’s Housing Agenda

Governor Hochul is dedicated to addressing New York’s housing crisis and making the State more affordable and more livable for all New Yorkers. Since FY23, the Governor has worked to increase housing supply through nearly $4 billion in targeted investments, a comprehensive Housing Plan, and implemented new protections for renters and homeowners. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, HCR has created new programs that jumpstart development of affordable and mixed-income homes — for both renters and homebuyers. These include the Pro-Housing Community Program, which allows certified localities exclusive access to up to $750 million in discretionary State funding. Currently, more than 400 communities have received Pro-Housing certification.

The FY27 Executive Budget completes the Governor’s current five-year, $25 billion Housing Plan to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes. More than 77,000 affordable homes have been created or preserved to date. The Executive Budget also invests $250 million to accelerate affordable housing construction to speed up the building of thousands more affordable homes.

East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said,“East Hampton needs more affordable housing so the people who keep our town running can continue living here, including teachers, health care workers, first responders, town employees, and young families. I appreciate Governor Hochul for making this a priority and for backing a clearer, more consistent review process that helps communities build the homes New Yorkers need while continuing to protect our environment, our water, and our open space.”

“I applaud Governor Hochul’s proposed SEQRA reforms through her Let Them Build Agenda,” said White Plains Mayor Justin Brasch. “These common-sense changes cut through unnecessary red tape while striking the right balance-encouraging smart growth and preserving zoning authority, home rule, and environmental integrity. As the fastest-growing city in New York State, White Plains needs tools that allow us to build faster and more affordably, and this plan delivers.”

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. said, “Our city and state face a generational housing crisis that endangers countless families living on the sharp edge of homelessness, and we must leave no stone unturned in order to protect, preserve and rapidly build affordable housing. That is exactly what these reforms put forth by Governor Hochul will do by removing the red tape that has contributed to this crisis by unnecessarily delaying and blocking construction. I commend the Governor for putting forward her comprehensive Let Them Build initiative, and I am proud to partner with her in this effort.”

New York State Association for Affordable Housing President and CEO Carlina Rivera said, “New York is running out of time to address its affordable housing crisis, and unnecessary delays in the SEQRA process are making it harder and more expensive to build the homes New Yorkers need. Governor Hochul’s proposed SEQRA reforms strike the right balance by streamlining review for appropriate affordable housing projects while preserving critical environmental protections. These changes will reduce costs, create predictability, and help deliver more homes faster. We urge the Legislature to work with the Governor to ensure these important reforms remain in the final budget.”

New York Housing Conference Executive Director Rachel Free said,“Reforming SEQRA is critical to unlocking housing production in New York. The current process often creates years of delay, drives up costs, and blocks housing and infrastructure projects without delivering better environmental outcomes. The Governor’s suggested modernization would rightly focus on projects with truly significant impacts, while reducing the delay on key housing projects. SEQRA reform is essential to advancing affordable housing and the economic vitality New York urgently needs while maintaining strong environmental protections.”

National Federation of Independent Business New York State Director Ashley Ranslow said, “Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposal to reform SEQRA is a practical and necessary step to help streamline and expedite the development and building process. In New York, it takes too much time and resources to get a project off the ground — inevitably driving up the cost of construction. Reforming SEQRA will cut red tape, accelerate building projects, and make them more affordable, ultimately helping the state’s economy, small businesses, and communities across the state.”

Partnership for New York City President and CEO Steven Fulop said,“I hear often from Board members at the Partnership that SEQRA has needed fixing for a long time. It is needlessly bureaucratic, and it drags out projects. I am glad Governor Hochul is taking this on, because it is an unnecessary factor driving up the cost of housing development in the city.”

Open New York Executive Director Annemarie Gray said, “Modernizing SEQRA is about restoring faith that our government can deliver on the things New Yorkers need. When critical projects spend five years being delayed by paperwork, people lose faith in government. Right now, we’re facing both an affordability crisis and a climate crisis — these demand immediate action, and New York families can’t afford to wait years for delays driven by frivolous lawsuits. We commend Governor Kathy Hochul for taking this on and urge the State Legislature to pass SEQRA reform in this year’s state budget.”

Citizens Budget Commission President Andrew Rein said, “We commend Governor Hochul for proposing this bold step to boost much-needed housing production. Reforming the onerous environmental review process will make building housing cheaper and faster, without additional cost to the State. That’s the sort of smart choice that will make our state more affordable and competitive.” 

Regional Plan Association President and CEO Tom Wright said,“Reforms to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) will help fast-track the smart, sustainable infrastructure our region needs, and we commend Governor Kathy Hochul for her bold leadership in taking on this long-overdue work. For over one hundred years, RPA has focused on one core mission: improving quality of life across the tri-state region by advancing solutions that lead to economic vitality, environmental resilience, and healthy, thriving communities. SEQR modernization will greenlight the housing, energy, and transit investments New Yorkers support, and that our region needs to remain competitive, equitable, and resilient.”

Association for a Better Long Island Executive Director Kyle Strober said,“This is a significant update for the New York economic development community. One of the biggest hurdles that economic development projects face is unpredictable timelines and prohibitive soft costs for small to mid-sized projects. These reforms, proposed by Governor Hochul, will help spur economic development, create housing and help make New York more affordable.”

Long Island Contractors’ Association Executive Director Marc Herbst said, “Contractors across Long Island welcome efforts to modernize SEQRA so essential infrastructure projects can move forward in a more timely and predictable way. Streamlining reviews for projects with minimal environmental impact will help communities deliver critical upgrades to roads, water, energy, and public facilities — supporting good-paying local jobs while maintaining strong environmental standards.”

Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA Executive Director Lisa Daglian said, “SEQR reform is a crucial complement to transit-oriented development projects around the MTA region, simultaneously combating the housing affordability and climate change crises. We applaud Governor Hochul for taking on this common-sense legislation that will cut red tape and encourage more transit ridership across the region.”

New York State Economic Development Council Executive Director Ryan M. Silva said, “Cutting through red tape and reducing timelines for project approvals is critical to achieve our housing, economic development, and renewable energy goals. The governor’s proposal to exempt housing projects from SEQRA and install a two year cap for review is an important and necessary first step to help support New York’s business climate. These initiatives will help reduce project costs, create predictability in the permitting approval process, and create economic opportunity across the state.”

Westchester County Association President & CEO Michael N. Romita said, “Governor Hochul’s SEQRA reforms are a very important step toward addressing the state’s critical housing shortage. Notwithstanding its noble underpinnings, over the past half century, SERQRA has become increasingly abused by overuse and modernization is overdue. These reforms do not override local control, and they don’t require communities to change their zoning. Rather, they empower local officials to meet today’s needs.”

Westbury, Long Island is taking advantage of its $10 million state-funded Downtown Revitalization Initiative and its Pro-Housing Certification to build new transit-oriented housing and attract new businesses © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Long Island Association President & CEO Matt Cohen said, “Red tape and overregulation stifles innovation and hinders sorely needed projects that contribute to economic growth. The LIA commends the Governor’s proposal to streamline environmental reviews for new housing, which would go a long way to addressing our existential cost-of-living crisis on Long Island.”

New York State Business Council President & CEO Heather Mulligan said, “New York’s housing shortage is an ongoing economic concern in all regions of New York State. Modernizing environmental review rules — without hindering protections — can cut years of red tape, lower construction costs, and accelerate the delivery of housing that families and workers can afford. Expediting essential investment projects — will support job creation, community growth, and help make New York more competitive.”

Rockland Business Association CEO Jeffrey Greenberg said, “Governor Hochul’s proposal to cut red tape and modernize permitting is a smart, common-sense step for New York. By streamlining outdated processes while preserving environmental protections and public input, these reforms will help Rockland move critical projects forward faster and at a lower cost while simultaneously supporting economic growth across New York State.”

Westchester Business Council Vice President John Ravits said,“The BCW has always advocated for SEQR Reform. Governor Hochul’s proposal to streamline New York’s permitting and environmental review process is a practical step toward helping communities get projects built more efficiently. By reducing unnecessary delays while maintaining strong environmental safeguards and public engagement, these reforms will lower costs, improve timelines, and support the housing, infrastructure, and economic development projects our region needs.”

New York State Builders Association President Peter Florey said,“It is important that we get back to the original intent of the SEQR process which was to protect our environment. SEQR was not intended to be used as a means of slowing or preventing much needed housing production. Governor Hochul’s meaningful recommendations will go a long way towards ensuring that SEQR is used to help housing production and affordability while also safeguarding our environment.”

Enterprise Community Partners Senior Vice President of Programs Baaba Halm said, “When it comes to delivering affordable housing, every second counts. Too often, SEQR creates lengthy, costly, and sometimes insurmountable barriers to affordable housing projects. Enterprise applauds Governor Hochul for recognizing sensible SEQR reform as a way to accelerate the delivery of the affordable homes that New Yorkers so desperately need.”

Real Estate Board of New York Executive Vice President of Public Policy Basha Gerhards said,“The Governor’s thoughtful reforms to SEQRA will accelerate new housing production and save significant time and money. We applaud the administration for identifying a solution to streamline this process while protecting the opportunity for local review.”

Long Island Builders Institute CEO Mike Florio said,“New York’s housing shortage is a crisis that demands action, and Governor Hochul’s proposed reforms to SEQRA are a critical step in the right direction. SEQRA was never intended to be a tool to delay or block much-needed housing for years at a time. Modernizing the review process while maintaining strong environmental protections will help communities add housing faster, reduce costs for families, and support smart, responsible growth across Long Island and New York State.”

Long Island Housing Services Executive Director Ian Wilder said, “On Long Island, SEQRA has long been an essential tool for protecting our drinking water, open space, and air quality, and those protections must remain strong. At the same time, a small number of bad-faith challenges have abused the statute to delay or derail lawful, environmentally responsible housing — particularly infill development, code-compliant homes with appropriate sewage systems, and accessory dwelling units. Thoughtful SEQRA reform restores balance. It preserves meaningful environmental review while reducing misuse that has worsened traffic congestion and fueled sprawl that puts greater strain on groundwater and infrastructure. On an island with limited land and a severe housing shortage, smart, compact housing is not in conflict with environmental protection — it is one of the most effective ways to achieve it.” 

New York Housing Conference Executive Director Rachel Fee said, “Reforming SEQRA is critical to unlocking housing production in New York. The current process often creates years of delay, drives up costs, and blocks housing and infrastructure projects without delivering better environmental outcomes. The Governor’s suggested modernization would rightly focus on projects with truly significant impacts, while reducing the delay on key housing projects. SEQRA reform is essential to advancing affordable housing and the economic vitality New York urgently needs while maintaining strong environmental protections.”

New York State Association of REALTORS® President Ron Garafalo said“The New York State Association of REALTORS® supports Governor Hochul’s proposal to streamline New York’s State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). The proposals will expedite project timelines for key initiatives like the critical need for housing, accelerate the implementation of necessary infrastructure projects, reduce red tape and focus on meaningful revisions while maintaining strong environmental protections. These reforms are essential to addressing housing affordability across New York.”

Suffolk County Village Officials Association President and Village of Brightwaters Mayor John Valdini said, “The Suffolk County Village Officials Association supports common sense efforts to cut unnecessary red tape and help communities with smart, responsible growth. Governor Hochul’s approach respects local zoning and home rule while streamlining a process that too often delays projects our residents need.”

Rebuilding Together NYC Executive Director Valerie Payne said,“As the Executive Director of Rebuilding Together NYC, whose mission is to repair homes, rebuild lives, and revitalize communities, our work is directly aligned with the Governor’s initiative to “Let Them Build”. As a nonprofit that provides critical repairs to preserve existing homes in the midst of a housing crisis, we acutely understand the need to build more and to improve the infrastructure of New York City neighborhoods. We work with so many homeowners who cannot afford to keep up their homes and are living on fixed incomes and without our support, have nowhere to turn. Our critical home repairs prevent displacement, as well as avoidable hospitalizations due to older adults living with environmental hazards and preserving family assets. If forced to move, homeowners would not be able to afford the rent in a new building. “Let them Build” offers hope that in the future, our low-income NYC homeowners will not be in such a vulnerable position. Thank you, Governor Hochul!”

Supportive Housing Network of New York Executive Director Pascale Leone said, “The Network strongly shares the Governor’s commitment to building more housing, including urgently needed supportive housing. The proposed reforms in this year’s budget thoughtfully balance environmental protections with the pressing need to address New York’s housing crisis,”

LISC NY Head of National Housing Strategic Initiatives & Senior Executive Director Valerie White said, “The most effective way to address New York’s housing crisis is to build more housing, and removing barriers that slow projects down or stop them altogether by cutting red tape and modernizing outdated rules will help achieve that goal. Governor Hochul advancing these important reforms will spur housing development across New York State and we look forward to seeing how they will help neighborhoods grow in ways that are community-centered, sustainable, and responsive to real housing need.”

CDC LI President and CEO Gwen O’Shea said, “Long Island’s has a serious housing crisis; driven in part by lack of inventory and affordability. Removing unnecessary barriers to allow more housing opportunities to develop is a win for all Long Island. This proposal will allow more homes to be available to Long Islanders while protecting the uniqueness and beauty of Long Island’s environment.”

NYU Furman Center Faculty Director Vicki Been said, “NYU’s Furman Center has long raised concerns about whether the costs of the environmental review process for infill housing and some other types of development outweigh the benefits. A few other states have begun to make progress in streamlining and targeting environmental review, and we commend Governor Hochul and her team for tackling this critical issue for New York.”

Nassau County Village Officials Association president Elena Villafane said, “The Nassau County Village Officials Association backs efforts to simplify the approval process, eliminate needless hurdles, and give communities the tools to act efficiently. Preserving local decision-making on zoning is extremely important, and Governor Hochul’s plan allows villages to advance sensible growth.”

Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County Executive who is the Republican challenging Hochul for governor, has consistently opposed Hochul’s efforts to address the state’s housing and affordability crisis. He has done nothing to improve critical infrastructure; the only infrastructure improvements, such as to the Long Island Railroad, and downtown revitalization programs have been funded by the state. His one economic development project during his term was to award the Nassau Coliseum property (dubbed “The Hub”) to the Sands to build a casino resort, which was opposed by much of the surrounding community.

Climate Action, Economic Development, Environmental Protection, Governor Kathy Hochul, Infrastructure, New York State politics, NYS Governor Kathy Hochul

Less Traffic, Better Transit: Governor Hochul Celebrates ‘Transformational Success’ of Congestion Pricing

27 Million Fewer Vehicles Entered the Congestion Relief Zone, Traffic Down 11%; Crossing Speeds Up by as Much as 51%; Transit Ridership Up 7%

Congestion Pricing Delivers Cleaner Air and Safer Streets: Pollution Down 22% in the Zone and Down Throughout Region; Crashes Down 7% and Traffic Injuries Down 8%

Manhattan Economy is Thriving: Best Year for Office Leasing in 23 Years; Foot Traffic Up From 2024; Sales Tax Receipts up Over 6%

$15 Billion in Funding Unlocked to Advance Critical Transit Improvements Including New Railcars, Signal Upgrades and the Second Avenue Subway

Read MTA’s Report on First Year of Congestion Pricing Here

Governor Hochul celebrated the success of congestion pricing in Manhattan after its first year: 27 million fewer vehicles, traffic down 11%, transit ridership up 7%; pollution down 22% in the zone and throughout the region; crashes down 7% and traffic injuries down 8%. Contrary to the naysayers, Manhattan economy is thriving with the best year for office leasing in 23 years, foot traffic up and sales tax receipts up 6%. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that on its one-year anniversary, New York City’s first-in-the-nation congestion pricing program has been a transformational success, reducing traffic, improving quality of life and supporting billions in transit upgrades. In its first year, congestion pricing resulted in 27 million fewer vehicles entering the Congestion Relief Zone (CRZ) of Manhattan south of 60th St, an 11 percent reduction in traffic. Reduced gridlock has improved commute times across the region, especially at crossings into the CRZ, with some drivers saving as much as 15 minutes each way. Congestion pricing has reduced emissions, made streets safer, improved quality of life, and has generated over $550 million in net revenue in its first year, allowing the MTA to proceed with $15 billion in transit improvement projects. Governor Hochul has also stood strong to defend congestion pricing from unlawful federal efforts to terminate the program. One year in, congestion pricing is working and it is legal.

“The results are in and it is clear that in just one year, congestion pricing has been an unprecedented success in New York,” Governor Hochul said. “By every measure, this program has met or exceeded expectations: traffic and gridlock are down substantially, people are moving faster, air quality is improved, streets are safer and our economy is stronger. New Yorkers are benefitting from congestion pricing every day, and that’s why we have fought to stop any unlawful federal attempt to end this program. And there are even more benefits to come: $15 billion in transit upgrades with major projects already underway, improving the commutes of millions of New Yorkers.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said, “As we mark the one-year anniversary of congestion pricing going into effect, its benefits are clearer than ever. Traffic crashes and noise complaints are dropping, while funding for the MTA and air quality are rising. Working New Yorkers deserve less congestion, a well-funded transit system, and a safer and quieter place to call home, and I’m proud to see congestion pricing deliver on that promise.”

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “I want to thank all who worked on this program over the years. The congestion pricing experience demonstrates what the new MTA can accomplish working with our State and City partners. The result here is flawless execution and unprecedented benefits for all New Yorkers.”

New York State and the MTA have successfully fought off repeated legal challenges to congestion pricing and have stood up to block the unlawful attempts of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Trump Administration to terminate the program. In May, a preliminary injunction was issued in the case of Metropolitan Transportation Authority v. Duffy, keeping congestion pricing in effect pending further court proceedings and enjoining the federal government from taking retaliatory measures in response.

Since congestion pricing commenced at 12:00 am on January 5, 2025, it has delivered a wide array of benefits according to data from the MTA and other reports from business groups, government agencies and academic institutions.

Congestion Pricing Has Reduced Gridlock

Following the launch of congestion pricing, over 27 million fewer cars have entered the CRZ. On any given day, over 73,000 fewer vehicles are entering the zone, an 11 percent reduction on average. Crossings entering and exiting the CRZ experienced especially pronounced speed improvements, with morning rush hour traffic speeds up an average of 23 percent.

  • Brooklyn Bridge: 15 percent faster
  • Holland Tunnel: 51 percent faster
  • Hugh L Carey Tunnel: 10.8 percent faster
  • Lincoln Tunnel: 24.7 percent faster
  • Manhattan Bridge: 6.7 percent faster
  • Queensboro Bridge: 29.3 percent faster
  • Queens-Midtown Tunnel: 18.4 percent faster
  • Williamsburg Bridge: 28.3 percent faster

Reduced gridlock is speeding up trips for motorists and transit riders. Within the CRZ, bus speeds increased 2.3 percent, reversing the trend of declining speeds seen in 2023 and 2024. Weekday vehicle speeds in the CRZ were up 4 percent compared to 2024, with weekends seeing a 6.2 percent improvement. Deliveries and the movement of goods in the CRZ are also being completed faster, with truck speeds up 5.6 percent compared to 2024.

The amount of driving done in the CRZ has declined as well, with the total Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) down by 7.1 percent. The share of personal vehicles like cars, pickup trucks and vans entering the CRZ has declined by six percentage points since the launch of congestion pricing.

Congestion pricing has also yielded benefits outside of the CRZ, including in previously identified Environmental Justice Communities. The BQE saw a 5 percent reduction in total traffic and a 10.2 percent reduction in truck traffic. The Cross Bronx Expressway saw total traffic decline by 7.4 percent and truck traffic drop by 4.3 percent. The Major Deegan Expressway in Mott Haven experienced a total traffic reduction of 7.1 percent, with truck traffic down 9.2 percent.

Roads approaching the CRZ are moving faster as well: sections of Flatbush Ave approaching the Manhattan Bridge saw speed increases of 6 percent, I-495 in New Jersey has experienced a 15 percent speed increase approaching the Lincoln Tunnel, and the Gowanus Expressway saw a 7 percent improvement between the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel.

New York City’s Economy is Thriving

The launch of congestion pricing has coincided with a booming Manhattan economy. On metrics ranging from office leasing rates to Broadway ticket sales, 2025 saw business up in the CRZ and in New York City as a whole.

Manhattan’s office economy is thriving. In July of 2025, New York City became the first major American city to exceed pre-pandemic office traffic, according to data from placer.ai. Office leasing has surged in 2025: according to a recent report from Colliers, office leasing activity in Q3 2025 was up 9.2 percent year over year, exceeding pre-pandemic levels and on track for the highest volume of new office leases since 2002. There are one percentage point fewer vacant storefronts in the CRZ in the year since the program launched, according to NYC Economic Development Corporation data. Jobs increased as well, with NYS Department of Labor statistics showing private sector employment in New York City up 2.0 percent in August, more than double the national rate of 0.9 percent.

Economic activity has increased both in the CRZ and across New York City. Data from the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance shows that sales tax receipts were up 6.3 percent in New York City in 2025 through November, exceeding the state’s average, three times higher than neighboring Westchester County and more than six times higher than neighboring Nassau county. In 2025, Broadway had its best season in history, with $1.9 billion in ticket sales, up 23 percent from the previous season. Restaurant reservations and retail sales were also up in the CRZ, according to industry reports.

More people are entering the CRZ to work and visit since the launch of congestion pricing. Foot traffic increased by 3.4 percent in the zone, compared to a boroughwide increase of 1.4 percent. Transit ridership also rose entering and within the CRZ; according to MTA data, subway trips entering the zone increased by 9 percent, with express bus trips up 7.8 percent and local bus trips up 8.4 percent.

Congestion Pricing Has Improved Quality of Life

Congestion pricing has produced benefits that extend far beyond reduced traffic and faster trips; it has yielded transformative benefits to the quality of life of New Yorkers.

Preliminary data has shown improved air quality since congestion pricing launched. A recent study from Cornell University found that air pollution, in the form of particulate matter 2.5 micrometers and smaller, dropped by 22 percent in the CRZ, with reductions seen across the five boroughs and surrounding suburbs. MTA data also found a 6.1 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions within the zone through Q3 of 2025. Reduced gridlock is also driving down noise pollution. According to 311 data, vehicle noise complaints for issues like horn honking decreased in the CRZ by 17 percent compared to 2024.

Reduced traffic has corresponded with a record year for street safety in New York City. Crashes within the CRZ declined by 7 percent, with traffic injuries down 8 percent. Traffic fatalities were down by 40 percent in the CRZ as of July, according to data from the NYPD. Citywide, 2025 saw the fewest traffic deaths in recorded history, with fatalities down 19 percent from 2024. Safety was improved for motorists, pedestrians, and the cyclists who take 600,000 trips each day: pedestrian fatalities were down 9 percent, and cyclist fatalities on New York City’s streets decreased to 20, compared to 23 in 2024.

Critical Transit Improvement Projects are Underway

Congestion pricing has consistently met monthly revenue targets needed to generate the projected $500 million in annual net revenue. As of November 2025, $518 million in net tolling revenue has been collected and allocated to support transit improvements and mitigation initiatives, with preliminary projections for year-end exceeding $550 million in net revenues.

Overall, the program allows the MTA to proceed with $15 billion in funding for the 2020-2024 Capital Plan, advancing projects to rebuild, improve and expand the transit system. A third of that funding is dedicated towards performing critical state of good repair work to ensure the continued reliability of the transit system.

Projects funded by congestion pricing include:

  • Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 ($3B)
  • Signal upgrades along the AC and BDFM lines ($3B)
  • Accessibility improvements to 23+ subway stations ($2B)
  • New railcars and buses ($2B)
  • State of Good Repair projects ($5B)

As of January 1, 2026, more than $6 billion in projects unlocked by Congestion Relief are in construction, including Second Avenue Subway Phase 2, ADA upgrades at nine stations, new signals serving more than 600,000 A/C riders in Brooklyn and Queens, and systemwide state of good repair work.

Mitigation Initiative Progress

The MTA and its project sponsors continue to deliver on the mitigation and monitoring commitments outlined in the Final Environmental Assessment (EA). The MTA and sponsors committed to $125 million in total mitigations across eight initiatives, with every initiative now in progress. Final implementation has now begun for three mitigations:

  • Expand NYC Clean Trucks Program ($20M): Implementation has begun. NYC DOT will begin accepting new applications for rebate incentives by the spring.
  • Expand NYC DOT Off-Hours Delivery Program ($5M): Implementation is in progress. In partnership with NYC DOT to improve safety and reduce daytime truck traffic, NYC DOT will begin onboarding new participants in Q1 2026.
  • Replacement of Truck Refrigeration Units (TRUs) at Hunts Point Market ($15M): Implementation is in progress. Replacing up to 1,000 TRUs will result in major nitrogen oxide and particulate matter reductions — replacement of a single TRU avoids the equivalent of particulate-matter emissions from 330 truck trips a day on the Cross Bronx Expressway. The first unit was delivered in December 2025.

New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn said, “In just congestion pricing’s first year, we’ve seen fewer vehicles entering Manhattan’s central business district, cleaner air, safer streets, and more people choosing to bike, walk, and take mass transit. All New Yorkers are benefiting, with new investments in mass transit and other projects that make it easier to get around without a car. Congestion pricing is a reminder that when you dare to be bold, you can achieve big things. That is why NYC DOT will lead with ambition and innovation—determined not just to make our streets better, but to make them the envy of the world. I thank the Governor and the MTA for their leadership, as well as the NYC DOT staff who are working every day to support this invaluable program.”

Representative Jerry Nadler said, “The bottom line is this: One year later congestion pricing is making New York better. We know it works. It’s cut down on traffic, and commuting times into the city are dramatically faster. Less traffic brings faster emergency response times, cleaner air, and safer streets—all while funding MTA accessibility improvements and transit extensions like the Second Avenue Subway that rely on the revenue congestion pricing generates. So I say this to anyone who tries to derail congestion pricing: get out of the way. This train is staying on the tracks. Congestion pricing will continue. We will fund the MTA. And we will protect the rights of New Yorkers to make decisions about their own city.”

Representative Dan Goldman said, “The results of the first year of Congestion Pricing in Lower Manhattan are clear: reduced congestion, fewer traffic accidents, cleaner air, increased foot traffic, and new revenue that will be used to improve the nation’s largest public transportation system that services the vast majority of New York City commuters. I’m looking forward to continuing to work alongside Governor Hochul and the MTA to make sure our commuters, our city and our environment continue to reap the benefits of this vitally important policy.”

State Senator Kristen Gonzalez said, “Congestion pricing is working for New York City. One year after implementation, we are already seeing the benefits of safer streets, cleaner air, and a better funded transportation system. These benefits improve the quality of life for working class New Yorkers across the five boroughs and regions. I commend Governor Hochul, Mayor Mamdani, and MTA Chair Lieber on their commitment to congestion pricing and defending this vital program from attacks from the Trump administration.”

Assemblymember Tony Simone said, “Fighting for the working class is never easy, but always worth it. We are one year in, and Congestion Pricing is already delivering results far beyond expectation. For the millions of New Yorkers who rely on transit, we have invested billions into expansion and improvement. For New Yorkers who choose to drive, traffic is down and speeds are up. And for my constituents who live in the zone, noise is down, pollution is down, and business is up. Congestion Pricing has quickly proven to be one of the single most effective public policy measures in history.”

Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick said, “The first year of the congestion pricing program has delivered to the MTA more resources than anticipated to support critical capital improvements to our essential transit system. I’m heartened to see this strong foundation that will enable the MTA to make desperately needed upgrades to our transit system, upon which millions of New Yorkers rely. It’s also great to see reduced traffic, improved commute times, and a reduction in air pollution throughout the Congestion Relief Zone.”

Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal said, “The cumulative impacts of congestion pricing cannot be overstated as we confront the realities of climate change. The Legislature understood the immense benefits that such a policy would have on the Big Apple when we originally passed it back in 2019 – and that foresight is certainly paying off. In just one year, Midtown is being released from gridlock, noise complaints are down, traffic-related incidents are becoming less frequent and the MTA is using the fees to make much-needed repairs to our transportation system. That is why we must remain steadfast in our commitment to this policy and continue rejecting any federal overtures to end this transformative program.”

New York City Comptroller Mark Levine said, “After just one year, congestion pricing has proven to be a resounding victory for transit riders, our communities, and the city. Despite the early hand-wringing, congestion pricing has stimulated economic activity across our restaurants, storefronts, and cultural hubs, all while generating millions for the MTA. By standing up to the Trump administration, Governor Hochul has ensured New York can invest in subway accessibility, reduce traffic and crashes, improve air quality, and deliver a reliable transportation system for generations to come.”

New York City Councilmember Gale Brewer said, “One year in, congestion pricing has proven to be exactly what New York needed. It’s been incredibly effective at reducing car trips, easing gridlock, and expanding subway and bus usage, while also delivering cleaner air and safer streets. The data shows that fewer vehicles are entering Manhattan, transit ridership is up, and our economy continues to thrive — all at the same time. This program is working. I look forward to the report that NYC DOT is producing with recommendations for the future so we can build on this success and ensure congestion pricing continues to benefit New Yorkers across the city and the region.”

New York City Councilmember Harvey Epstein said, “After one year, it is clear that congestion pricing is delivering real benefits for everyday New Yorkers. We’re seeing less traffic and noise, cleaner air, and faster, more reliable transit, creating a safer, greener, more efficient city for everyone.”

New York City Councilmember Erik Bottcher said, “After one year, congestion pricing has proven what so many New Yorkers believed all along: when we put people first, our city works better. We are seeing fewer cars, cleaner air, safer streets, and faster commutes, while unlocking billions of dollars to modernize and expand our transit system. This is a win for working New Yorkers, for our environment, and for the long-term health of our economy. I commend Governor Hochul for standing strong and defending this program, because the data is clear—congestion pricing is working, and New York City is better because of it.”

New York City Councilmember Virginia Maloney said, “Traffic has always been a headache for New Yorkers, especially here in the heart of Manhattan. One year later, congestion pricing has delivered on its two main goals: cutting down on gridlock and raising much-needed funding for mass transit. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the City Council and in Albany to make sure the Congestion Pricing Program continues to deliver results and works for all New Yorkers.”

Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said, “Again and again, congestion pricing works. One year in, with traffic down 11 percent and over half a billion dollars in substantial new revenue for the MTA raised, the program is proving exactly why bold, smart policy matters. New Yorkers are feeling the benefits of fewer cars, faster commutes, cleaner air, and safer streets every day. Thank you to Governor Hochul for her continued leadership standing up for this critical program and New Yorkers.”

Roosevelt House at Hunter College Transportation Research Program Chair Samuel I. Schwartz (Gridlock Sam) said, “I’ve been wrestling with NYC traffic for nearly 60 years having started as a cabdriver circa 1967 and 15 years later as traffic commissioner. I’ve seen avenues converted to one-way, traffic signals retimed, several thousand traffic agents hired but I never saw a program as effective as congestion pricing in improving traffic flow and safety. Kudos to the governor and the MTA for a near flawless roll-out.”

Environmental Defense Fund Senior Advisor Andy Darrell said, “One year in, congestion pricing has delivered on its promise of cleaner air, safer streets, and a healthier city. Fewer cars mean less pollution, faster buses, and cleaner air for communities citywide. And the program is strengthening New York’s economy by funding transit improvements that keep New York City affordable for millions of people every day and supporting good jobs across the state. New York has set a national example for how environmental leadership can drive economic opportunity and improve quality of life.”

Regional Plan Association President and CEO Tom Wright said, “By every measure we have data for, the nation’s first-ever congestion pricing program has delivered positive results for commuters and residents both in New York City and across the tri-state metropolitan region. Residents, businesses, and commuters are enjoying cleaner air, faster travel with less delays, and improved transit. New York’s congestion pricing program has proven to be a wildly successful proof of concept for policy interventions that improve quality of life in every community it touches. Thank you Governor Hochul for leading the way.”

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) New York City Environment Director Eric A. Goldstein said, “The success to date of New York’s congestion pricing program is no accident. It took years of planning and analysis, public engagement, and attention to detail. But on the program’s one year anniversary, the results are clear – reduced congestion, faster commutes, reduced pollution, and enhancements to the region’s irreplaceable transit network that moves millions of commuters every day. Bravo to Governor Kathy Hochul, MTA Chair Janno Lieber, and their staff for the accomplishments to date and the progress yet to come from implementation of this landmark transportation strategy.”

StreetsPAC Executive Director Eric McClure said, “New York City’s congestion pricing program has been an unequivocal success and has delivered on all of its promises – reduced traffic volumes, improved travel times, cleaner air, critical revenue for the transit system – and then some, like fewer crashes and increased pedestrian and retail activity. We should have implemented it decades ago, but we’re grateful to be celebrating its first anniversary. Congratulations to everyone responsible for making it happen.”

New York Building Congress President & CEO Carlo A. Scissura said, “One year in, New York’s congestion relief program has shown that when we invest in moving people better, we move the entire region forward. In just 12 months, the program has started to generate the reliable funding needed to modernize our aging transit system and help keep the city flowing. We’re already seeing accelerated repair work, progress on long-planned infrastructure projects, and new economic activity across the state, including in upstate communities that build the railcars and equipment that power our system. This first year has proved that smart policy can reduce gridlock and air pollution, and lay the foundation for a stronger, greener, more connected New York.”

Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC) Executive Director Lisa Daglian said, “By every measure imaginable, the congestion relief program has exceeded expectations in its first year, benefiting transit riders and drivers alike while breaking the gridlock that has choked our city and region. As longtime advocates for this program, we could not be prouder of its enormous successes, even as we continue to defend it from its misguided detractors. We celebrate today’s anniversary milestone because it is a win for all New Yorkers, and thank Governor Hochul, MTA leadership, and the many people who had the political courage to implement this historic and transformative program.”

CIVITAS Executive Director Sharon Pope-Marshall said, “New York City’s Congestion Pricing Program has yielded undeniable benefits, particularly significant reductions in traffic volume, particulate pollution, motor vehicle crashes, traffic-related injuries, and noise. Data also shows that traffic is down outside of the congestion relief zone. The Program generated $500 million in substantial new revenue for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. This vital funding stream will help advance transit infrastructure and other transit-related projects across the city. Investment in public transit reinforces a core tenet of urban planning: efficient and accessible transportation is an essential link to support thriving, sustainable, and resilient urban neighborhoods.”

Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) President James Whelan said, “Congestion pricing has delivered tangible benefits for the people of New York City — decreased traffic, improved air quality, and a critical revenue stream for important transit improvements. We commend Governor Hochul for her ongoing commitment to this program, and we expect to see even greater benefits from congestion pricing in the years to come.”

New York Lawyers for the Public Interest Disability Justice Program Managing Attorney Christopher Schuyler said, “Congestion pricing benefits all New Yorkers, particularly people with disabilities. Congestion pricing funds subway accessibility improvement projects, reduces traffic so that people who use Access-A-Ride and emergency vehicles can get to where they are going faster, makes the roads and crosswalks safer for all pedestrians including people who use wheelchairs – a group disproportionately harmed by traffic related-incidents, and reduces emissions in the zone thereby improving air quality. One year in, the data proves that congestion pricing is a resounding success for all New Yorkers!”

Tri-State Transportation Campaign Executive Director Renae Reynolds said, “One year in, we can finally settle the debate: congestion pricing was the right move not just for New York City but for the entire region and the people who call it home. Traffic is down, streets are safer, crashes and noise complaints have dropped, truck traffic is easing, and we can breathe cleaner air. We’re seeing long overdue subway improvements, the establishment of an asthma case management program in the Bronx, and more visitors enjoying what the city has to offer, proof that this world-class city is building the world-class transportation system we imagined, with even better days ahead.”

Evergreen Action Senior Transportation Policy Lead Liya Rechtman said, “One year of congestion pricing in New York has been an unmitigated success for commuters and the climate. We are thrilled that New Yorkers are sitting in less traffic, breathing cleaner air, and investing in long awaited public transit upgrades. And we are deeply grateful to Governor Hochul and leaders in this state for holding the line in the face of ongoing spurious attacks from the Trump administration. Congestion pricing is here to stay and we’re excited for New Yorkers to continue reaping the benefits.”

New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe said, “One year in, congestion pricing is delivering what New Yorkers were promised. Traffic is down 11 percent. Travel times are faster and more reliable. Bus, train, and subway ridership are up, and the MTA is investing $15 billion to modernize the system and deliver more frequent, reliable service. At its core, congestion pricing reflects a simple truth: we can’t drive our way out of the climate crisis. By reducing the number of cars on the road, it’s cutting congestion while strengthening the transit system millions of New Yorkers rely on. It takes bold leadership to advance policies that improve our communities and daily lives — especially when they aren’t universally popular at the start. That’s exactly what Governor Hochul showed by moving congestion pricing forward to deliver real results for New Yorkers.”

Riders Alliance Policy & Communications Director Danny Pearlstein said, “Public transit riders organized and won congestion relief, which has now survived infancy and shows great promise at the start of year two. America’s slowest buses are moving faster. New revenue is improving subway service and upgrading stations. New York’s air quality is getting better. Of the entire parade of horribles that the program’s opponents threatened, just one has come true: Success has once again proven the worth of government action and emboldened everyday New Yorkers to continue to tackle persistent challenges together.”

Hudson Square Business Improvement District President & CEO Samara Karasyk said, “At the doorstep of the Holland Tunnel, Hudson Square is seeing firsthand how effective congestion pricing can be. With fewer cars on our streets and dramatically faster tunnel crossings, the neighborhood feels calmer, safer, and more welcoming. Pedestrian activity has risen by nearly 20 percent year over year, and we’re seeing the benefits in improved air quality, reduced horn honking, and growing momentum in our retail and commercial spaces. For the Hudson Square community, congestion pricing is helping create a healthier, more vibrant environment where people, not traffic, take priority.”

Culture & Lifestyle, Environment, Governor Kathy Hochul, Infrastructure, News & Photo Features

Get Offline, Get Outside: Governor Hochul Announces $10 Million in Funding Available to Municipal Parks & Recreation Sites Statewide

As part of her “Get Offline, Get Outside” Initiative, Governor Kathy Hochul announced $10 million in funding for municipal parks and recreation sites statewide © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Governor Kathy Hochul announced $10 million will be made available for the second round of the Municipal Parks and Recreation (MPR) Grant Program to fund the development and improvement of municipal parks and recreation sites statewide for the public to enjoy. Funding for this program comes from the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act.

“This second round of Municipal Parks and Recreation Grant funding will help improve the state’s social infrastructure to encourage New Yorkers to disconnect from their digital devices and reconnect with the outdoors,” Governor Hochul said. “Expanding access to quality parks and recreational facilities makes our communities healthier and ensures children have places to play, learn, and grow in a safe and engaging environment.”

The MPR grant funding is available for the construction of recreational facilities and other improvements to municipally owned recreational sites and parks. Examples include playgrounds, courts, playing fields, and facilities for swimming, biking, boating, picnicking, hiking, fishing, camping, or other recreational activities. Program guidelines, including how to apply, will be available beginning December 31, 2025, on the State Parks website. The first round of the MPR grant program awarded $10 million to 17 projects across the state.

Eligible applicants include counties, cities, towns and villages within New York State that own the property where the proposed project will take place. Grants will primarily fund construction costs. Preconstruction activities, such as developing plans and design specifications, may be included in the project budget, but the grant cannot fund projects that are solely for planning and design without a construction component.

To maximize accessibility to funding, the MPR grant opportunity can fund up to 90 percent of the total eligible project costs, with a matching share requirement of 10 percent. The maximum grant award is $900,000. Grants are administered on a reimbursement basis.

The application period opened on December 31, 2025 and applications must be submitted by February 9, 2026 at 4 p.m. Awards are expected to be announced no earlier than May 22, 2026.

The MPR grant program complements Governor Hochul’s Unplug and Play initiative to promote kids’ mental and physical health by continuing to rebuild the state’s social infrastructure and help steer children away from the harms of social media and toward positive activities like youth sports, arts programs, civic engagement, and community building. Unplug and Play includes three grant programs that invest in swimming infrastructure, playground construction and renovation, and the building and renovation of community centers.

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Acting Commissioner Kathy Moser said, “Our agency is proud to support Governor Hochul’s priority initiative to expand affordable recreational opportunities throughout New York State. Through this continued grant funding, we are helping more New Yorkers get outside to enjoy community-based parks and outdoor spaces year-round, while making it easier to engage in healthy activities that enhance overall quality of life.

“The Municipal Parks and Recreation Grant Program is another prime example of Governor Hochul’s commitment to outdoor recreation opportunities for all New Yorkers,” New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “With $10 million funded through the truly transformative Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, more youth will be able to unplug and play at new or upgraded parks and recreation sites statewide.”

State Senator Jose Serrano said, “The Municipal Parks and Recreation (MPR) Grant Program is an important investment to fund the development and improvement of municipal parks and recreation sites statewide for the public to enjoy. The development and improvement of municipal parks and recreation sites allow for increased access to vital green spaces. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation, I firmly believe that outdoor recreation can provide many physical and mental health benefits for New Yorkers. Many thanks to Governor Kathy Hochul, The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and my colleagues in government for working to maintain and expand this important initiative.”

Assemblymember Ron Kim said, “The Municipal Parks and Recreation Grant Program is an important, impactful plan to create and develop public spaces in New York for recreation. We need to protect and expand the number of fields, courts, and playgrounds available in our state to people of all ages, and give New Yorkers as many opportunities as possible to reconnect with and enjoy the great outdoors. I thank Governor Hochul and our State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation for their work in implementing this program and encourage all eligible applicants to apply.”

New York’s Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act 

On November 8, 2022, New York voters overwhelmingly approved the $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act. State agencies, local governments, and partners will be able to access funding to protect water quality, help communities adapt to climate change, improve resiliency, and create green jobs. Bond Act funding will support new and expanded projects across the state to safeguard drinking water sources, reduce pollution, and protect communities and natural resources from climate change. Progress on implementing funding continues, with New York State awarding approximately $1.25 billion, or 25 percent, of Bond Act funds to date. For more information and to sign up for progress updates, go to the Environmental Bond Act webpage.

Government Regulation, Infrastructure

USDoT, FAA Outline Proactive Actions to Maintain Safety in the National Air Space Due to Government Shutdown

Includes 10% reduction in flights at 40 high traffic airports across the country 

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is one of 40 airports where the US Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration is reducing service. A 4 percent reduction in operations will take effect Friday, November 7, ramping up to 6 percent by November 11, 8 percent by November 13, and 10 percent by November 14. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford today outlined the proactive actions the FAA will take to maintain the highest standards of safety in the national airspace system. This includes achieving a temporary 10 percent reduction in flights at 40 high traffic airports across the country.  

Since the beginning of the shutdown, controllers have been working without pay, and staffing triggers at air traffic facilities across the country have been increasing. This has resulted in increased reports of strain on the system from both pilots and air traffic controllers. This past weekend, there were 2,740 delays at various airports.   

“My department has many responsibilities, but our number one job is safety. This isn’t about politics – it’s about assessing the data and alleviating building risk in the system as controllers continue to work without pay,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “It’s safe to fly today, and it will continue to be safe to fly next week because of the proactive actions we are taking.” 

“We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely,” said Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford. “The FAA will continue to closely monitor operations, and we will not hesitate to take further action to make sure air travel remains safe.”   

The full emergency order can be read HERE. 

Summary of Actions:

A 4 percent reduction in operations will take effect Friday, November 7, ramping up to 6 percent by November 11, 8 percent by November 13, and 10 percent by November 14. 

The FAA will also:

  • Prohibit some visual flight rule approaches (VFR) at facilities with staffing triggers.
    • Limit commercial space launches to non-peak hours so they are prohibited between 11:01 a.m. and 2:59 p.m. UTC.
    • Prohibit parachute operations and photo missions near facilities with a staffing trigger.  

These actions were directly informed by the FAA’s review of aviation safety data, including voluntary, confidential safety reports that pilots and air traffic controllers file. The data indicates increased stress on the system, which increases risk.   

Additional Information:

Airlines will be required to issue full refunds. They will not be required to cover secondary costs. This is the normal procedure when a delay or cancellation is not at the fault of the carrier. 

The order does not require a reduction in international flights. Carriers may use their own discretion to decide which flights are canceled to reach the order’s goal. 

Decisions to increase or decrease these flight reductions will be informed by safety data.  

The 40 affected high impact airports include:  

ANC – Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport 
ATL – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport 
BOS – Boston Logan International Airport 
BWI – Baltimore/Washington International Airport 
CLT – Charlotte Douglas International Airport 
CVG – Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport 
DAL – Dallas Love Field 
DCA – Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport 
DEN – Denver International Airport 
DFW – Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport 
DTW – Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport 
EWR – Newark Liberty International Airport 
FLL – Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport 
HNL – Honolulu International Airport 
HOU – William P. Hobby Airport 
IAD – Washington Dulles International Airport 
IAH – George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport 
IND – Indianapolis International Airport 
JFK – New York John F. Kennedy International Airport 
LAS – Las Vegas McCarran International Airport 
LAX – Los Angeles International Airport 
LGA – New York LaGuardia Airport 
MCO – Orlando International Airport 
MDW – Chicago Midway International Airport 
MEM – Memphis International Airport 
MIA – Miami International Airport 
MSP – Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport 
OAK – Oakland International Airport 
ONT – Ontario International Airport 
ORD – Chicago O’Hare International Airport 
PDX – Portland International Airport 
PHL – Philadelphia International Airport 
PHX – Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport 
SAN – San Diego International Airport 
SDF – Louisville International Airport 
SEA – Seattle–Tacoma International Airport 
SFO – San Francisco International Airport 
SLC – Salt Lake City International Airport 
TEB – Teterboro Airport 
TPA – Tampa International Airport

Democrats, Federal Budget, Government spending, Governor Kathy Hochul, Health Care, Infrastructure, New York State politics

Governor Hochul Unveils Devastating Impacts of Republicans’ ‘Big Ugly Bill’ on New Yorkers

Republicans Rip Away Health Care Coverage for Over 1.5 Million New Yorkers and Jeopardize SNAP Benefits for Nearly 3 Million New Yorkers

300,000 Households Projected To Lose SNAP Benefits Due to Harsher SNAP Work Requirements

All New York’s GOP Congressional Representatives Voted for These Cuts

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul , seen at the groundbreaking for a $430 million New York BioGenesis Park, a Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation Hub, in Lake Success, Long Island with $150 million in funding from New York State, lists the ways Trump and the Republicans “Big Ugly Bill” will devastate the lives of New Yorkers, undoing much of the progress Democrats have made in helth care, job creation, infrastructure, climate, and quality of life for all New Yorkers © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Governor Kathy Hochul today released new data showing the devastating impacts of the Republicans’ “Big Ugly Bill” on New York State – supported by all seven New York Republican congressmembers. The data show the enormous scale of the recently-enacted law, including draconian cuts to Medicaid, hospitals and SNAP benefits, and the impact of those cuts on the millions of New Yorkers who rely on these lifeline programs and services. 

“I’ve been very clear: no state can fully undo the damage in this bill or backfill cuts of this scale,” Governor Hochul said. “I’m working with the Legislature to brace for the impact and protect as many New Yorkers as possible because your family is my fight. I will never turn my back on New Yorkers or the values that we share.”

“Our NY GOP Congressmembers have sold out millions of New Yorkers in fear of retribution from Donald Trump,” State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said. “This disgraceful bill continues a non-stop assault on our nation’s universities and seeks to destroy our educational institutions. I have worked hand-in-hand with Governor Hochul to keep our colleges affordable, accessible and of high quality and will continue to do so. These actions will ultimately hurt poor and middle class families, especially those in upstate and rural areas where our universities are the top economic driver. It’s an utter and complete betrayal of the people of New York State.”

State Senator Samra Brouk said,“The federal administration’s “Big Ugly Bill” betrays Americans by depriving them of health care coverage and raising healthcare costs across the board. It also enacts the largest SNAP cuts in American history. In New York State, many residents will lose healthcare coverage, hospitals will shoulder costs of uncompensated care, and increased medical bills will place a strain on anyone seeking care. Millions of New Yorkers will also be impacted by worsening food insecurity, loss of jobs in the food industry, and decreased SNAP funding for local farmers’ markets. This bill will cause irreparable harm to hardworking families and deepen inequity between working people and the ultra wealthy. New Yorkers deserve better–I will continue to fight for investments in our state, especially for children and working families, and prioritize the welfare of my neighbors.”

Essential Plan/Medicaid Cuts

Republicans’ cuts to health care and other benefits will hurt all New Yorkers. The changes will eliminate insurance coverage for millions of New Yorkers, destabilize health insurance programs statewide, and have an overall fiscal impact on the State and the New York health care system of almost $13 billion per year. These changes will make it harder for providers statewide to keep operating, making it more difficult for all New Yorkers to find care when they need it.

  • More than 2 million New Yorkers will lose their current insurance coverage, including approximately 730,000 lawfully-present non-citizens who could lose Essential Plan (EP) coverage as over half of EP’s budget — $7.5 billion in federal funding — is eliminated, and a further 1.3 million New Yorkers who will lose Medicaid coverage due to new eligibility and verification hurdles.
  • Of these 2 million people, 1.5 million New Yorkers are anticipated to become uninsured, with uncompensated care costs to hospitals and providers estimated to rise to over $3 billion annually —which means less access to care and higher medical bills for New Yorkers.
  • Analysis from the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) and the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) estimates a total $8 billion in annual cuts to New York’s hospitals and health systems, which could force hospitals to curtail critically needed services such as maternity care and psychiatric treatment, not to mention to downsize operations, and even close entirely. These consequences will not only affect Medicaid enrollees, but also harm everyone who requires hospital care, leading to longer wait times and less access to critical services.

The size and scope of the Rural Transformation Fund included in the law — an average of $10 billion annually for 5 years for rural hospitals nationwide — is wholly inadequate to meet the needs of our State. Adding insult to injury, none of these funds are guaranteed to reach any New York State hospital. 

SNAP and Nutrition Assistance

Since the inception of SNAP, the federal government has funded these benefits 100 percent, receiving bipartisan support from presidents of both parties and in Congress. 

For the first time in history, the Republicans’ enacted law requires states to contribute to the cost of benefits, or risk having to end their SNAP programs entirely — jeopardizing a program that nearly 3 million New Yorkers rely on to put food on the table. New York State will be required to fund 15 percent of all SNAP benefits starting as early as October 1, 2027, at an estimated cost to the State of $1.2 billion per year. It further cuts the federal share of SNAP administrative costs from 50 percent to 25 percent which will increase costs for the State by roughly $36 million annually, and increase costs for counties and New York City by roughly $168 million annually. Counties will have to begin incorporating this fiscal hit into their 2026 budgets due this fall. In total, New York and local governments are facing up to $1.4 billion in new costs annually. 

The law also imposes more punitive administratively complex work requirements on SNAP recipients, which will make it harder to qualify for assistance. As a result, 300,000 households are projected to lose some or all of their SNAP benefits, with an average loss of $220/month, devastating low-income families’ grocery budgets.

The law also cuts funds for the SNAP-Ed New York Program, which promotes healthy eating and efficient use of already modest SNAP benefits by teaching SNAP beneficiaries how to shop for and cook wholesome, healthy meals on a limited budget. As a result, New York will lose $29 million annually that funded this work by 18 community-based organizations throughout the entire State including Cornell Cooperative Extensions in Albany, Allegany, Erie, Wayne, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, St. Lawrence, Steuben and Suffolk counties. 

Beyond worsening food insecurity and malnutrition, cuts to the program will hurt local businesses and weaken SNAP’s ability to boost local economies in every state. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) own research has shown that SNAP benefits have a multiplier effect, with every $1 spent on SNAP benefits generating $1.54 in economic activity as recipients spend their benefits at local businesses in their communities. For New York, where a total of approximately $7.4 billion in SNAP benefits are issued every year, that means $11.5 billion in economic activity is generated annually across urban, suburban, and rural areas alike. 

Slashing families’ grocery budgets would reduce revenue for thousands of businesses, with ripple effects throughout the food supply chain. If states are forced to end their SNAP programs, in addition to increasing hunger and poverty, grocery stores in rural areas will struggle to stay open, people in agriculture and the food industry will lose jobs, and State and local economies will suffer:

  • Lost SNAP sales and matching dollars will have a critical impact on local economies and the more than 18,000 retailers that accept SNAP in New York State, including grocery stores, local shops and more than 400 SNAP-authorized local farmers’ markets and farm stands that can be found in every county in New York selling New York agricultural products to the people in their local community.
  • SNAP sales in the farming community have dramatically increased since 2019, providing New York consumers access to healthy, farm fresh foods and providing our farm communities additional economic development dollars. 
  • As the State matches SNAP dollars spent at farm markets through the Fresh2You FreshConnect program, the hit to farms of decreased SNAP funding is doubled.

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “This bill undermines health care for millions of New Yorkers, dismantles vital services, and places our most vulnerable families in jeopardy. With the support of Governor Hochul, we remain unwavering in our commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of all New Yorkers, ensuring they continue to receive the care and support they rightfully deserve.”

 “The historic cuts and cost shifts related to SNAP enacted last week will take food off the tables of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and shift billions of dollars in costs onto the backs of the State and local governments in New York, while weakening the very safety net families rely on when times are hard,” New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said. :As the State agency tasked with administering SNAP and other essential support programs, we are deeply concerned, not only for the immediate harm to individuals and families, but for the continued erosion of the social safety net that has helped support low-income New Yorkers across the state. At a time when so many households are struggling with the high cost of food, rent, and energy – we should not be reducing access to vital economic supports.”

State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said,“By passing this bill, House Republicans have rubber-stamped Donald Trump’s cruel and dangerous agenda, one that rips Medicaid away from 1.5 million New Yorkers, slashes $13 billion from our healthcare system, and raises costs for working families. As we continue to assess the full scope of these devastating cuts, it’s clear that the damage will leave our state deeply vulnerable. All of the progress we’ve made is under threat. No state can fully fill the hole this bill has blown open but we are committed to doing everything in our power to protect New Yorkers and keep our communities thriving.”

“This bill will devastate the lives of countless families across our state, especially our most vulnerable neighbors,” Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie said. “By cutting vital programs like SNAP and Medicaid, the administration has indicated that they care more about the pockets of their billionaire friends than they do about the families, children and people with disabilities that rely on this funding to survive day to day. I am truly disgusted by the public servants – especially New York’s seven Republican members of Congress – who voted for this and continue to lie about the impact this will have on their communities. They should be honest about the fact that they stood by their billionaire donors at a cost of their neighbors’ access to food, healthcare and essential services.”

Assemblymember Amy Paulin said,“As Chair of the Assembly Health Committee, I am deeply alarmed by the catastrophic impacts of the federal bill.  Slashing Medicaid and Essential Plan funding will strip health care coverage from over 1.5 million New Yorkers and devastate our hospitals and providers — all while driving up costs for everyone else. These cruel and short-sighted cuts, combined with the gutting of SNAP benefits, will worsen health outcomes, increase hunger, and punish all of us.”

“This bill is a betrayal of the people we are meant to serve. It turns its back on our most vulnerable, gutting the support they need to stay healthy, fed, and secure,” Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon said. “At its core, this bill is a giveaway to the wealthy, sacrificing the needs of hard-working families for billionaires’ gain.  As a result, everyday New Yorkers are left with impossible choices and an uncertain future. New York will keep fighting to protect our communities and build a future rooted in care, dignity, and justice.”

Assemblymember Alicia L. Hyndman said, “This so-called ‘Big Ugly Bill’ is a direct assault on the most vulnerable New Yorkers—gutting essential health care, food assistance, and educational opportunity in one fell swoop. The harm is staggering: millions of people could lose health coverage, families will struggle to put food on the table, and students will face higher barriers to higher education. These are not just numbers—they’re lives. We in New York refuse to sit idle while Washington plays politics with our communities’ survival. I stand with Governor Hochul in fighting to protect every New Yorker’s basic dignity, health, and future.”

Climate Action, Climate Change, Economic Policies, Economy, Governor Kathy Hochul, Infrastructure, News & Photo Features

Amid Economic Turmoil Created by Trump’s Chaotic Tariffs, Reversals on Clean Energy, Climate Change, NYS Governor Hochul Takes Action

“New Yorkers and business owners all across the state have felt a sense of uncertainty when it comes to the impacts of President Trump’s callous tariffs on our imported goods,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “No business should have to close shop due to these unfair and unwanted taxes that were imposed on states by the Trump administration. This resource guide will help provide individuals with the guidance they need to lower potential risk to their businesses and give New Yorkers a better understanding of how tariffs can impact them.”
 
“New Yorkers and business owners all across the state have felt a sense of uncertainty when it comes to the impacts of President Trump’s callous tariffs on our imported goods,” Governor Kathy Hochul said.“No business should have to close shop due to these unfair and unwanted taxes that were imposed on states by the Trump administration. This resource guide will help provide individuals with the guidance they need to lower potential risk to their businesses and give New Yorkers a better understanding of how tariffs can impact them.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

NY.gov/tariffs Will Keep New Yorkers Up-To-Date on Impacts of Tariffs

Amid the economic turmoil created by President Trump’s chaotic tariffs, Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a new tariff resource guide to keep New Yorkers up-to-date on programs available for business owners who have been impacted by tariffs. Additionally, the Governor announced a survey to allow business owners the opportunity to share how their businesses have been impacted by the federal government’s recently announced tariffs.

“New Yorkers and business owners all across the state have felt a sense of uncertainty when it comes to the impacts of President Trump’s callous tariffs on our imported goods,” Governor Hochul said. “No business should have to close shop due to these unfair and unwanted taxes that were imposed on states by the Trump administration. This resource guide will help provide individuals with the guidance they need to lower potential risk to their businesses and give New Yorkers a better understanding of how tariffs can impact them.”

Tariffs Impacts on the Economy and Tourism

Governor Hochul has heard from small and mid-sized businesses across the state who are worried about rising costs and their future. A recent survey from the National Small Business Association found that the majority of small businesses are concerned about tariffs and one in three are very concerned. Examples include North Country manufacturer Alcoa, which took an estimated $20 million hit on imports from Canada, and North Country Golf Club which is facing declines in businesses due to the decline in tourism from Canada.

Due to the tariff trade war with Canada, New York’s number one trade partner, and the rhetoric that Canada could be the “51st state,” impacts are widespread. Visitors from Canada are avoiding the U.S. and New York State. Overall, cross-border traffic from Canada has plummeted since Trump implemented his tariff policies. The most recent data shows that there were 400,000 fewer Canadian visitors in May compared to the same period in 2024. Bridge crossings over the Ogdensburg Bridge and the Champlain crossing in May were down 30 percent during that same time period from last year. In a recent North Country Chamber of Commerce survey, 66 percent of tourism businesses report a drop in Canadian customers and one in four businesses in the region may cut staff as a result. Reservations are down at hotels, campgrounds, local marinas, golf courses and other businesses that rely on visitors from Canada.

It deserves reminding that the president has no authority to unilaterally impose tariffs. Moreover, Trump is using tariffs to strong arm other countries to obey his will: telling Brazil, for example, that he will raise tariffs on Brazilian goods by 50 percent unless the country ends its prosecution of Bolsanaro for attempting the same kind of coup as Trump mounted on January 6, 2021, but unlike Trump, was held to account. (Trump Threatens Brazil With Tariffs of 50% as He Assails Prosecution of Bolsonaro)

New York State is also contradicting and countering the destructive policies of the climate-change denying Trump administration and Republican-dominated states (like Texas and Florida):

Madison County Gets Major Renewable Energy Project

Governor Kathy Hochul announced today that the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES) has issued a final siting permit to Cypress Creek Renewables to develop and operate Oxbow Hill Solar, a 140-megawatt (MW) solar array in the Town of Fenner in Madison County. The project will create good-paying jobs, improve grid reliability, invest in crucial infrastructure, and increase tax revenues for local schools and other community priorities.

“We are extremely pleased to announce the latest investment in solar technology, upholding our commitment to improving grid reliability and building a clean energy economy,” Governor Hochul said. “The projects we have approved over the last few years are a testament to New York’s commitment to sustainability and resiliency.”

The Oxbow Hill Solar facility will contribute 140 MW of clean, renewable energy to New York’s electric grid while offsetting over 177,000 metric tons of CO2 and providing power for approximately 23,000 average-sized homes.

The new solar facility will consist of the solar array and associated support equipment, along with an interconnection substation, fencing, access roads and an operations and maintenance building. The facility will interconnect to the New York electrical grid via the Fenner Wind to Whitman Road 115 kV transmission line that is owned and operated by National Grid. Oxbow Hill is sited on a portion of the existing Fenner Wind Farm, making it the first ORES permit where a solar facility is co-located with a wind facility.

This project was approved in less than the one-year timeframe required under the law, and was issued after a thorough, timely, and transparent review process that included public comment periods and hearings.

Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission Executive Director Zeryai Hagos said, “As the state approaches 4 gigawatts of clean, renewable energy, a monumental achievement, we are reminded that we still have work to do to address New York’s growing energy needs. ORES will continue to advance New York’s nation-leading clean energy policies while being responsive to community feedback and protecting the environment.”

This project is anticipated to create a total of 330 jobs during construction and marks 24 clean energy projects approved by ORES since 2021, when it was created to accelerate permitting for renewable energy generation. New York State has approved 28 large-scale solar and wind projects since 2021, including 24 permitted by ORES and four approved by the NYS Siting Board under Article 10, the statute that governed solar and wind projects over 25-MW prior to the creation of ORES. The 28 permitted facilities represent 3.9 gigawatts of new clean, renewable energy.

ORES’ decision for these facilities follows a detailed and transparent review process with robust public participation to ensure the proposed project meets or exceeds the requirements of Article VIII of the New York State Public Service Law and its implementing regulations. The application for the Oxbow Hill Solar project was deemed complete on November 18, 2024 with a draft permit issued by ORES on January 14, 2025. This solar power project meaningfully advances New York’s clean energy goals while establishing the State as a paradigm for efficient, transparent, and thorough siting permitting process of major renewable energy facilities.

Today’s decisions may be obtained by going to the ORES website.

Assemblymember Al Stirpe said, “By strengthening New York’s energy economy, we position ourselves to not only meet the growing electricity demand, but to do so sustainably. The solar array in Madison County brings us one step closer in reaching our climate and energy goals. Each major renewable energy project helps deliver the critical climate action that our state urgently needs, while also creating hundreds of local jobs and new revenue for community priorities. At a time where the federal government threatens progress on clean energy, New York remains unwavering in its provision of renewable and efficient energy for years to come.”

New York State’s Climate Agenda

New York State has approved 28 large-scale solar and wind projects since 2021, consistent with its Climate Agenda.

New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.

Southern Tier Gets $21 Million in Flood Protection Projects

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $21 million to support flood protection projects in the Southern Tier. The projects address vital stormwater management and resilient infrastructure projects in communities including Binghamton, Elmira, Olean, and Whitney Point to help advance New York’s comprehensive clean water and resiliency efforts that will safeguard New Yorkers from extreme weather and the costly expenses of rebuilding after a flood.

“As we face more and more devastating extreme storms, we must do everything we can to ensure our communities are resilient, sustainable and ready,” Governor Hochul said. “We saw the flooding in Binghamton almost 15 years ago, and we don’t want to see it again. These projects help us get ahead of the storm damage, save taxpayers millions of dollars in the long run, and prevent post-flood recovery costs for homeowners and businesses alike.”

The $21 million provided through the ‘Restoration and Flood Risk’ category of the historic $4.2 billion Clean Air, Clean Water and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022 will support projects implemented by the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The initial four projects announced today will help make necessary updates and bolster the resilience of existing flood infrastructure like levees and flood walls, to help ensure these structures’ long-term effectiveness in protecting communities from flooding. These flood control structures were originally constructed under the federal 1936 Flood Control Act to specifically address flooding along the Southern Tier of New York State and built in the 1940s and early 1950s.

Video of The Project Areas are Available Here

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership and historic investments, New York State is making important progress to protect communities and infrastructure from the devastating impacts of flooding. By supporting DEC’s repairs and upgrades in Binghamton, Elmira, Olean, and Whitney Point with the record funding from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, the Governor is advancing key projects in communities that are susceptible to flooding, helping provide residents the support they need to avoid potential costly repairs if flooding occurs.”

“As climate change continues to intensify storms and flooding across New York, proactive investments like these are critical to protecting communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems,” Assemblymember Deborah Glick said. “The $21 million in Environmental Bond Act funding announced today will strengthen flood control systems in the Southern Tier, projects that are not only long overdue, but essential for public safety and long-term resiliency. I applaud Governor Hochul and Commissioner Lefton for advancing these vital efforts to build a safer, more climate-resilient New York.”

 

City of Binghamton Flood Control Project: DEC is making improvements to the Binghamton Flood Control Project located along the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers in the City of Binghamton. Rehabilitation of the floodwalls is necessary to ensure Binghamton has a resilient working flood protection system. The construction includes replacement of two floodwall panels, replacing deteriorated concrete, and application of a protective coating on the floodwalls to extend the useful life of the concrete walls.  

  

City of Elmira Flood Control Project: DEC is making improvements to the Elmira Flood Control Project along the Chemung River, which provides flood protection for the city of Elmira. The project consists of levees, and flood walls with appurtenant drainage structures. The project will install 65 relief wells along with collector pipes to provide pressure relief caused by floodwaters and will ensure the structure meets U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requirements.  

  

City of Olean Flood Control Project: DEC is making improvements to the Olean Flood Control Project located on the Allegheny River and Olean Creek in the city of Olean. The project will stabilize a section of existing levee system, mitigate erosion, and improve access to the levee for regular DEC maintenance. 

 

Village of Whitney Point Flood Control Project: DEC is making improvements to the Whitney Point Flood Control Project located on the Tioughnioga River in the village of Whitney Point. The project will upgrade the manual gate system and install a new swing gate closure structure to more efficiently and effectively close the existing stoplog railroad closure. 

  

On Nov. 8, 2022, New Yorkers overwhelmingly approved the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act ballot proposition to make $4.2 billion available for environmental and community projects. The Environmental Bond Act supports new and expanded projects across the state to safeguard drinking water sources, reduce pollution, and protect communities and natural resources from climate change. State agencies, local governments, and partners can access this historic funding to protect water quality, help communities adapt to climate change, improve resiliency, and create green jobs.

The projects announced today complement other state investments and opportunities to protect communities from flood damage. In May, Governor Hochul announced more than $78 million in funding available through the Water Quality Improvement Project Program and $22 million in Climate Smart Community grants, which both support projects that include flood risk reduction. Applications for these latest rounds of funding are due by July 31, 2025. In April, the Governor also announced $60 million in Environmental Bond Act funding for the next round of Green Resiliency Grants. The program supports vital stormwater management and resilient infrastructure projects in flood-prone communities across New York State. Applications for this program are due by Aug. 15, 2025. To learn more about resources available for resilient Bond Act-supported projects, visit environmentalbondact.ny.gov.

New York’s Commitment to Water Quality

New York State continues to increase its nation-leading investments in water infrastructure. With an additional $500 million for clean water infrastructure in the 2025-2026 enacted State Budget announced by Governor Hochul, New York will have invested a total of $6 billion in water infrastructure since 2017. The budget also maintains a strong commitment to environmental conservation with a $425 million Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). This funding bolsters a wide array of vital programs, including land acquisition for habitat and open space preservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives, and water quality improvement projects.

Climate Action, Climate Change, Infrastructure, New York State politics, News & Photo Features

Governor Hochul Touts Success of Congestion Pricing; Stands Defiant Against Trump Administration

Governor Kathy Hochul touted the success of congestion pricing in just the first two months and stood defiant against the Trump Administration’s threats to dismantle it © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

By Karen Rubin, editor@news-photos-features.com, news-photos-features.com

Governor Kathy Hochul joined business leaders, transit advocates and elected officials in New York City to highlight ongoing progress of the newly implemented congestion pricing program,and stand defiant against the Trump administration demanding to dismantle the program that is popular among local and regional transit and climate activists.

In the months since congestion pricing took effect, traffic is down and business is up — as the program delivers benefits for commuters from across the New York metro area and for businesses and offices in Manhattan’s Central Business District (CBD).

“Since congestion pricing took effect over two months ago, traffic is down and business is up – and that’s the kind of progress we’re going to keep delivering for New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “Every day, more New Yorkers are seeing and hearing the benefits for our commutes, quality of life and economy – and we’re not going back.”

“The world has changed dramatically for this city and this region ever since congestion pricing went into effect in early January. Now to all the naysayers, hopefully you now are seeing that those who studied this and thought about it worked on this for years, if not decades – had a vision that is now being realized, that we can have a city that is not paralyzed by traffic and congestion, that our air is cleaner, that our businesses are more robust, more people are going to Broadway, our buses and subways are going faster and more supported – more people are taking them than ever before,” the Governor stated, after riding the M14 bus to the event.

“Not only is traffic is down and business is up, but also, subway ridership is up and crime is down.

“It’s been a long journey. We’re still on that journey. And the more people who get a chance to see the benefits – just walk around and talk to people, Ask if their lives are more enriched, whether they have more time with their families if they’re a commuter. Whether or not they’re finally realizing that we have the world class public transit system, but we need to keep it world class by raising the revenues to invest in it as well. That is essential.”

Governor Hochul just visited Trump in the White House and has invited Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has made all sorts of threats against New York, to see for himself. Even Long islanders, whose Republican county executives and town supervisors have reflexively led the opposition against congestion pricing (Long Island commuters benefit the most by improvements to the Long Island Railroad and mass transit) and other initiatives like affordable housing, are benefiting.

“The cameras are staying on,” Governor Hochul asserted. “They sure as hell are. I want to recognize some leaders here who’ve done an extraordinary job in fighting for this. And again, this was not an easy journey. We have countless lawsuits. People going on television constantly berating this – saying it wouldn’t work. I want them to come here now and feel a very different New York City. That is very alive, and it’s vital. It is not jammed and stuck in traffic.

 ”We are moving once again. And we’re moving into a better future. A welcoming future. A place people can live safely. We’re going to build more housing. We’re going to bring more businesses. We’re going to make this to be the best place in the world to live. And we’re not done yet. More housing is right – don’t get me on that.”

 “Congestion relief is working, cars and buses are moving faster, foot traffic is up and even noise complaints are down. That’s why in poll after poll more and more New Yorkers are saying they want those benefits to stay – and they will,” MTA CEO and Chair Janno Lieber said.

Since the congestion pricing program took effect on Jan. 5, it has delivered a wide array of benefits according to data from the MTA and other reports and studies from business groups and other data sources.

Traffic Is Down

  • Traffic is down 11 percent in the CBD in February compared to the same time last year.
    • Three million fewer vehicles entered the CBD in January and February compared to the same time last year.
    • Traffic is moving up to 30 percent faster on bridge and tunnel crossings in February compared to the same time last year.
    • Commuters saving up to 21 minutes per trip into the CBD.
    • Bus service is faster throughout the CBD, with up to 23 percent customer trips on express buses delayed 10 minutes or more.
    • Complaints about excessive car horn honking within the CBD were down by more than 70 percent in January and February compared to the same time last year.

Business Is Up

  • Broadway show attendance was up 19 percent in January and February compared to the same time last year.
    • Restaurant reservations in the CBD rose 5 percent from January to mid-March compared to the same time last year.
    • Retail sales in the CBD are on track to be $900 million higher in 2025 compared to last year.
    • Workers coming to the office in the CBD on an average weekday increased 6.6 percent in February compared to the same time last year.

Transit Ridership Increasing

Transit ridership in January and February 2025 has grown significantly compared to the same time last year.

  • Bus ridership is up 9 percent
    • Subway ridership is up 6 percent
    • Long Island Rail Road ridership is up 8 percent
    • Metro-North Railroad ridership up 4 percent

“Congestion relief is a local tool helping to solve a local problem. With this tool activated we are delivering access to efficient transportation to all New Yorkers and visitors including those who drive, and those who ride our subways, buses, and paratransit vehicles alike,” MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo said. (His remark flips Trump’s statement justifying shutting down the Department of Education in order to “return power to the states.”)

State Senator Liz Krueger said,“Congestion pricing works, and it is already delivering for New Yorkers, the vast majority of whom rely on public transit every single day. Congestion Pricing is improving commutes, reducing congestion, and raising funds for public transit, all while businesses in the zone enjoy an increase in foot traffic and the program grows in popularity with those who are actually impacted by it. I am proud to stand with Governor Hochul and the MTA in defending Congestion Pricing, not just on behalf of the New Yorkers who directly benefit from it, but also for New York’s sovereignty and for the rule of law that is the keystone of our democracy.”

State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said, “Since congestion pricing started travel times have improved by as much as 59 percent during peak afternoon hours. That means that drivers are saving on average 20 to 30 minutes driving into the Central Business District every single day. Take it from those of us who actually live and work in the Central Business District, congestion pricing is working. Since the program began, not only are commute times down, but foot traffic is up, businesses in midtown are booming, support for the toll has increased, and tens of millions of dollars have been generated to make essential upgrades to our subway system, which is used by over 3.5 million people every day. Any way you look at it the first few months of congestion pricing have clearly been a success and the program must continue. I am proud that Governor Hochul is standing up for New York’s sovereignty and keeping the congestion cameras on.”

“Congestion pricing is already delivering for New York — easing gridlock, cutting pollution, and powering critical funding for our transit system,” State Senator Robert Jackson said. “Our future depends on a transit system that moves all of us forward — not one stuck in gridlock. This is about fairness — ensuring working people, students, and seniors have reliable public transit while reducing traffic that clogs our city. At this pivotal moment, we must stay the course. Investing in mass transit isn’t just about infrastructure — it’s about investing in the people who make this city thrive. Let’s push forward toward a healthier, more sustainable New York.”

State Senator Cordell Cleare said, “I support Congestion Pricing as a way for the MTA to fund their capital plan, and bring benefits; including the much needed upgrading transport accessibility, and rebuilding and sustaining infrastructure in my 30th District and beyond.”

State Senator Kristen Gonzalez said, “Congestion pricing is working; we’re seeing less congestion, faster bus commutes, and an increase in transit ridership. New Yorkers deserve to continue to benefit from the implementation of this program– they deserve clean air, and clearer streets. This is the result of relentless advocates fighting for cleaner air and public transportation, as well as the Governor’s commitment to putting New Yorkers’ will above the orders of the Trump Administration.”

“A strong, reliable and accessible public transit system is the lifeblood of New York City and congestion pricing has proven itself to be the antidote to our crumbling infrastructure and incessant congestion,” Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal said. “Since the program’s implementation, traffic has flowed more freely, buses have been more reliable and our environment has benefited from fewer emissions. The Trump administration’s demand to shut down our congestion pricing program is nothing more than another futile political move in his ongoing obsession of punishing New York. Governor Hochul’s decision to keep the cameras on is the right one and will help the MTA to rebuild the public transportation system that our city deserves.”

Assemblymember Deborah Glick said,“I am heartened to see how successful congestion pricing has been so far—less traffic, less pollution, less noise—and I look forward to an improved transit system for all New Yorkers. New York has long led the nation in innovation and I am proud to stand with my colleagues in fighting the federal administration’s attempt to undermine this important program.”

Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas said, “Congestion pricing works, and we cannot afford to turn back now. In just a few months, we’ve already seen improvements in commute times and have created a new revenue stream to accelerate the modernization of our public transportation system. We must not let the obstruction of the Trump administration get in the way of the progress New Yorkers need. This program is also vital for improving our environment by reducing traffic and lowering emissions, helping us achieve cleaner air and a healthier city. Our city is ready for improved bus and subway services, modernized infrastructure, and greater accessibility. Public transportation must be safe, reliable, affordable, and accessible for all. Let’s continue this momentum and focus on strengthening the MTA for the future. Onward!”

Assemblymember Tony Simone said,“Congestion pricing was developed as a crucial solution to multiple crises in our city, in the time since the cameras went live it has more than achieved its mission. Our subway is crumbling. Congestion pricing has unlocked $15 billion to fix it. Our city center had been brought to a standstill by an overwhelming number of cars. Congestion pricing has already significantly decreased congestion without spillover into surrounding areas. Our streets are cleaner and safer because of the traffic reduction. Spending in the CBD has not declined, transit ridership is up, and honking has decreased. Congestion pricing is finally here and it is exceeding expectations. I stand with the Governor, keep the cameras on!”

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said, “Congestion pricing has been a huge success. Gridlock is down, mass transit ridership is up, and we are raising badly needed funds for subway station elevators, the Second Ave Subway expansion, signal modernization, and more. I look forward to seeing all the ways congestion pricing continues to benefit New York City.”

Riders Alliance Senior Organizer Danna Dennis said, “We’re so grateful to stand with the Governor today to continue to defend congestion pricing and support public transit. The bottom line is that congestion pricing is working: Transit ridership is increasing, buses are moving faster, and millions of New Yorkers are benefiting. We need to keep this momentum going, and we can’t turn back the clock on this vital progress for transit riders and all New Yorkers.”

Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA Executive Director Lisa Daglian said, “Congestion pricing works. It’s a fact! We’re seeing immediate benefits in and around the city and region, with less traffic, improved commute times, and faster speeds — good news for drivers, bus riders, emergency vehicles, and deliveries. Less congestion has also meant safer streets, less noise, and robust returns for Broadway, restaurants, commercial lease signings, and businesses small and large. Transit riders are also big beneficiaries, with more accessible stations, signal improvements and better buses coming our way. Thanks to Governor Hochul for standing strong and being a champion for riders and our economy!”

Hudson Square Business Improvement District President and CEO Samara Karasyk said, “Congestion pricing is a win for our city and I want to thank Governor Hochul for her continued advocacy. New Yorkers and New York City neighborhoods like Hudson Square benefit enormously from reduced congestion and more funding for mass transit. It improves our environment, creates safer streets, allows for more welcoming pedestrian spaces, and fosters vibrant central business districts. We have already seen a tangible decrease in traffic around the Holland Tunnel, which, along with our efforts these past 15 years to expand and green our streets and sidewalks, will help grow the local economy and enhance the vitality of our community.”

Meatpacking District Management Association Executive Director Jeffrey LeFrancois said, “Public transit is the lifeblood of New York City and improving the system is good for business, the Meatpacking District, and the region. Easing traffic flow makes streets quieter and more efficient. And if there’s one thing business loves most, its efficiency, because when the movement of people and goods are prioritized, we all succeed.”

“Union Square is experiencing a year-over-year upswing in foot traffic. Since the start of 2025, average weekday foot traffic in Union Square has reached its highest levels for this season in recent history, surpassing both pre-pandemic and recent-year benchmarks for January and February,’ Union Square Partnership Executive Director Julie Stein said. ‘We are hearing from our community that Union Square feels more peaceful and pedestrian-friendly and surface transportation commuting times into and out of the district have improved. While congestion pricing has been the subject of extensive debate, it is currently providing New York with crucial real-time data to understand the policy’s effects on traffic flow, the environment, and the experiences of New Yorkers. This invaluable information is critical to inform and shape our city’s transportation planning for years to come.”

Garment District Alliance President Barbara Blair said,“Congestion pricing plays an important role in helping us reduce traffic, improve air quality and strengthen our city. We need to move forward and continue addressing these critical issues — we can’t go backward and shirk our responsibility to ensure a better future for our communities.”

Make Queens Safer Founding Member Cristina Furlong said,“Twenty years of dedication and care for congestion pricing have blessed us with safer streets! Traffic is moving wonderfully and neighbors in all economic brackets have been pleasantly surprised by the success of this program. We look forward to reaping the benefits of better transit that every New Yorker deserves. This is especially important to us in Queens, as we see thousands on our platforms daily despite the crowded platforms and need for better accessibility, which will come sooner to more people with the funding from congestion pricing. We appreciate Governor Hochul’s steady leadership on congestion pricing and thank her and the MTA for its careful stewardship.”

Disability Justice Program at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest Managing Attorney Christopher Schuyler said,“Congestion Pricing has been a boon for New Yorkers from all walks of life, including people with disabilities, and we can’t allow federal overreach to stop the program just as we begin to reap its benefits. Congestion Pricing provides the MTA with $15 billion in revenue to fund much-needed subway construction projects, including essential and long overdue accessibility improvements for people with disabilities. Since the start of Congestion Pricing just over two months ago, we have also seen significant improvement in vehicle trip speeds within the tolling area, making it easier for those who rely on buses and Access-A-Ride paratransit services to reach their destinations quickly. People with disabilities, as well as every other New Yorker, deserve to travel faster and not waste time sitting in traffic. We cannot allow the federal government to bully New Yorkers and shut down such a successful program!”

Natural Resources Defense Council Senior Attorney Eric A. Goldstein said,“Congestion pricing is working! Less bumper-to-bumper traffic; fewer vehicle crashes; time-saved for those who must drive; less pollution with more people riding our subways; buses and rails; and the CBD as vibrant as ever. Governor Hochul and MTA Chair Lieber are exactly right to keep this successful program on track, in compliance with both state and federal law.”

New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe said, “With each passing day new evidence emerges showing congestion pricing is saving time and money for commuters and businesses, boosting MTA ridership and performance, and gaining in popularity across the region. The Trump Administration’s misguided attempt to end this program is a betrayal of the millions of working-class people who take the buses, subways and trains every day, and we applaud Governor Hochul and MTA Chair Janno Lieber for standing up for New Yorkers in the face of sham deadlines and shameless bullying. The cameras stay on.”

New York Public Interest Research Group Environmental Protection Organizer Cecilia Ellis said,“The students we work with are already enjoying faster commutes and safer streets, thanks to Congestion Pricing’s successes right out of the gate. We can’t wait to see more benefits, from elevators in more stations, to improved subway tracks, upgraded buses, and cleaner air as Congestion Pricing continues. We applaud Governor Hochul for keeping the cameras on and keeping NY moving!”

Regional Plan Association President and CEO Tom Wright said,“Congestion pricing is working to reduce traffic, improve transit, and support our regional economy. We applaud Governor Hochul as she stands firm against the USDOT’s actions to turn off congestion pricing – a program authorized by state law and approved by the federal government. Stopping congestion pricing would only hurt our region’s residents and businesses.”

“The numbers don’t lie: congestion pricing is delivering more revenue than expected, clearing our roads faster than anyone anticipated, and we’re not seeing the traffic spillover some predicted,” New York Building Congress President and CEO Carlo A. Scissura said. “We can’t afford to delay this program for even one day. This is a critical, dedicated, recurring revenue source that the MTA needs right now—to keep New York’s economy strong and our communities moving.”

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Biden Administration, Economic Policies, Economy, Infrastructure, Manufacturing, News & Photo Features

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Marks Progress Strengthening America’s Supply Chains

How fast they forget: while people complain about paying an extra dollar for eggs (and egg producers report record profits), when Joe Biden took office, the supply chain for basics was still disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, sending prices high. Biden managed to keep inflation to a relatively low level even with the spike, and spent his four year-term making sure America is never so vulnerable to supply disruptions again © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

While Trump, Elon Musk (the unelected but richest man in the world and Trump’s puppeteer) and the House Republicans are salivating over the prospect of shutting down the government to make sure Biden’s transformative, historic administration ends with suffering of the American people – even stopping the $100 billion in disaster aid – President Biden continues to work feverishly to effect as much positive, sustainable change as possible. This included stepping in to avert a nationwide Teamsters strike at the nation’s biggest ports, rebuilding a bridge over I-95 in Philadelphia and reopening the Port of Baltimore in a matter of weeks, not years, after a catastrophic accident collapsed the Key Bridge, and addressing a series of rail accidents. His historic, landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Act has already greenlit some 63,000 projects across the nation.

Biden’s achievements in standing up the supply chain so ravaged by the coronavirus epidemic is why the United States never suffered the level of inflation as other countries – as much as people have complained about high grocery prices (apparently not factoring in record profits and price gouging of food suppliers) – and produced sustainable economic growth (from the bottom up and the middle out) that is the envy of the world.

Here is a fact sheet, provided by the White House, on what the Biden Administration is doing to secure supply chains in order to keep grocery prices from spiraling as after the coronavirus pandemic’s disruption. Trump’s proposed tariffs and plans for mass deportation of undocumented migrants promise to trigger price spikes in groceries again.- Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Upon taking office in 2021, President Biden and his Administration immediately got to work addressing the shocks that were roiling global supply chains and moved swiftly to secure key industries for America’s economy and national security. Everything in our lives—the food we eat, the medicines in our hospitals, the energy that powers our homes, the computer chips in our devices—relies on supply chains, and the disruptions sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war on Ukraine showed what happens when they are neglected for decades.
 
Four years later, America’s supply chains are stronger and more resilient. Working hand in hand with industry and all stakeholders, this Administration has cleared bottlenecks, increased investments in critical sectors, and shored up the transportation sector that move the goods that Americans rely on. Ocean shipping prices have fallen more than 70 percent from their peak, and today fewer than 20 containerships are waiting to dock at U.S. ports, compared to over 150 backed up during the peak of congestion. That progress has made supply chains more reliable for businesses and lowered inflation for the goods that families buy every day.

The Biden-Harris Administration released the first-ever Quadrennial Supply Chain Review, a formal assessment of four years of strengthening America’s critical supply chains, and announcing additional actions to support American businesses and consumers.
 
Progress to Date
 
The Quadrennial Supply Chain Review assesses the progress made over the past four years to bolster the resilience of our most critical supply chains. This strategic approach has included:
 

  • Responding to disruption. The Administration quickly set to work to develop new government tools and capacity to respond to disruptions, both active ones when it took office, and new ones that have occurred since. The President’s Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force (SCDTF) has effectively coordinated federal authorities and resources and also established a process to work with state and local authorities and the private sector in real time. This work has helped improved the flow of goods into and around the United States during disruptions—getting products critical to American families moving again through ports and to shelves.
     
  • Investing in infrastructure and manufacturing and lowering costs. Over the past four years, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken a made historic investments to strengthen our industrial bases and lower costs. U.S. Government investment has helped catalyze over $1 trillion in private-sector announced investments since January 2021. These investments are supporting the construction of new factories and creating manufacturing jobs across the country.
     
  • Responding to non-market policies and practices. On a level playing field, American businesses and workers can compete and win. However, our strategic competitors are continuing to engage in non-market policies and practices (NMPP) that undercut our collective resilience—directing their systems to target key industries for dominance by using excessive state subsidies and other forms of state support to dominate critical industries. As part of the Quadrennial Supply Chain Review process, the Biden-Harris Administration has developed a strategy to address NMPP, recognizing the need for early, comprehensive action to prevent harm to U.S. workers and industry, as well as modernized trade authorities that account for NMPP’s continued effects on global supply chains. This work has included raising tariffs on a select number of key sectors to safeguard U.S. supply chains in the face of unfair competition. These tariff modifications will protect historic domestic investments under BIL, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act, while also shielding American businesses and workers from unfair trade practices.

 
The Review builds on comprehensive efforts undertaken by the Administration over the last four years, including President Biden’s 2021 Executive Order on America’s Supply Chains (E.O. 14017), which directed rapid supply chain assessments for four critical products in the first 100 days of the Administration, a one-year review of six key supply chains in 2022, and the establishment of the White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience to support the enduring resilience of America’s critical supply chains in 2023.
 
Additional Actions to Strengthen Supply Chains
 
Continuing to strengthen supply chains over the next four years—and beyond—will require the United States to deliver on historic domestic investments, maintain and strengthen international partnerships, harness innovation to tackle 21st-century challenges, and mobilize and facilitate ongoing private investment and public-private partnerships. The work of the last four years has laid a strong foundation for the United States to continue safeguarding the enduring resilience of our supply chains for years to come, including for emerging industries of the future.
 
Below are additional steps the Biden-Harris Administration is taking to strengthen supply chains, including for energy, critical minerals, agricultural commodities and food products, medical products, information and communications technology, transportation, and defense.
 
Energy
 

  • Announcing up to $6 billion in incentives to strengthen U.S. energy supply chains. Over the coming weeks, the IRS, supported by the Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC), is set to announce up to $6 billion in additional tax credits to strengthen U.S. energy supply chains through the Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit (48C) Program. This builds on the first round of $4 billion in announced tax credits for over 100 projects in 35 states to accelerate domestic clean energy manufacturing and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at industrial facilities. This also builds on over $12 billion of investment from the DOE MESC Office in domestic manufacturing capacity to strengthen the U.S. energy supply chains.
     
  • Improving risk mitigation across the energy supply chain. To improve visibility across multiple technologies in the energy industrial base, DOE and a consortium of the National Laboratories have developed a new analytic framework—the Supply Chain Readiness Level—to quantify risks, gaps, and vulnerabilities, and to identify investment opportunities across the energy sector.

 
Critical Minerals
 

  • Mapping America’s critical minerals deposits. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is announcing new airborne geophysical mapping in the Ozarks Plateau (Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas) and Alaska over areas known to host minerals such as antimony, tin, tungsten, and lead and zinc ores, as well as byproduct critical minerals such as gallium and germanium. USGS’s mapping work, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), is revolutionizing the U.S. Government’s understanding of the nation’s mineral and geologic resources. USGS and NASA are partnering to complete the largest high-quality hyperspectral survey in the world, surveying more than 180,000 square miles of the Southwest with sensors that make it possible to “see” nuanced differences between materials.
     
  • Updating the U.S.’s critical minerals market data. Next month, USGS will publish its 2025 Mineral Commodity Summaries. These annual reports help forecast supply chain disruptions resulting from a variety of risks including pandemics, natural disasters, and trade wars, and are the U.S.’s authoritative source of data on the supply, demand, and consumption of 100 mineral commodities. Additionally, last month, researchers at the USGS National Minerals Information Center developed a new model to assess how disruptions of critical mineral supplies may affect the U.S. economy. This model reflects the latest whole-of-government risk and resilience methodology.

 
Food and Agriculture
 

  • Making $116 million in new investments to expand domestic fertilizer production. Today, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing eight new awards through its Fertilizer Production Expansion Program, part of a broader effort to increase American-made fertilizer production to spur competition and combat price hikes on U.S. farmers. Since President Biden announced the program in 2022, USDA has invested $517 million in 76 fertilizer production facilities to expand access to domestic fertilizer options for American farmers in 34 states and Puerto Rico. These investments will increase U.S. fertilizer production by 11.8 million tons annually and create more than 1,300 jobs in rural communities. This funding builds on the more than $1.4 billion USDA has invested to build or expand small and medium sized processing facilities and to create a more resilient U.S. food supply chain which gives farmers more market options while providing consumers with more choices and affordable grocery prices.

 
Medical Products
 

  • Investing an additional $26 million in domestic sterilization capacity. Building on recent investments in industrial base capability and capacity expansion through DPA Title III authorities and Public-Private Partnerships, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) expects additional investments of $26 million in alternative sterilization capacity before the end of 2024.
  • Releasing an action plan for the next four years. HHS will publish its Draft 2025-2028 Action Plan for Addressing Shortages of Medical Products and Strengthening the Resilience of Medical Product Supply Chains, outlining supply chain resilience goals and a strategic plan to achieve them. The HHS Action Plan will also include an HHS Research Plan to collate HHS and academic research priorities that would promote Action Plan goals.
     
  • Issuing stronger supply chain standards for hospitals to combat drug shortages. In notice and comment rulemaking, CMS intends to propose new Conditions of Participation requiring hospitals to have certain processes to address and prevent medication shortages.

 
Semiconductors and Other Technologies
 

  • Investing in domestic production. CHIPS for America has awarded over $26 billion in incentives to advance domestic production in semiconductors and the supply chain. Now, America is home to all five of the world’s leading-edge logic and memory providers, while no other economy has more than two. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, semiconductor and electronics companies have announced nearly $450 billion in private investments, catalyzed in large part by public investment.
     
  • Reducing national security risks in federal supply chains. The Department of Defense, General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are finalizing a rule implementing Section 5949 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, which prohibits agencies from procuring or obtaining certain products and services that include semiconductors from entities of concern.
     
  • Promoting the U.S. government’s use of domestically manufactured semiconductors. The Made in America Office and Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) has released a Request for Information (RFI) to gauge the best ways for government contractors to scale up their use of domestically manufactured chips, particularly for critical infrastructure. Responses solicit commercial ideas from industry that may inform future policymaking in support of the government-wide effort to leverage existing manufacturing capacity.
     
  • Incentivizing supply chain diversity, competition, and transparency. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is issuing guidance to help the Federal Government—the world’s largest buyer—organize its demand for domestic semiconductors so that agencies can mitigate the risk posed by undue dependence on foreign manufacturing, limited competition, and possible higher manufacturing costs. The effort encourages agencies to develop strategies to dual or multiple source semiconductors, increase transparency for critical infrastructure supply chains, and provide the government’s forecasted demand for the products and services that use these chips.
     
  • Protecting American businesses from unfair trade practices. In May, the President announced increased Section 301 tariffs on semiconductor imports from China, which were finalized by the USTR in September, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to further protect American semiconductor manufacturing and the sustainability of domestic investments.

 
Transportation
 

  • Helping states improve their supply chain operations. The Department of Transportation (DOT) continues to advance this work by working closely with other levels of government and industry stakeholders. DOT’s Freight Office is establishing the National Multimodal Freight Network to assist States in strategically directing resources toward improved system performance for the efficient movement of freight on the Network, to inform freight transportation planning, and to assist in the prioritization of Federal investment.
     
  • Expanding visibility into ocean freight supply chains. Today, DOT is announcing that it has added more members to the Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW) program, a public-private partnership to build an integrated view of U.S. supply chain conditions, and which supported the response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Today, FLOW now includes eight of the largest ten container ports representing over 80% of all U.S. imports; nine of the largest ten ocean carriers representing over 70% of all U.S. imports; and six of the largest ten importers.
     
  • Building the transportation of tomorrow. USTDA, DFC, and EXIM are all making investments to improve transportation across air, land, and sea. EXIM’s investments will expand U.S. exports of all electric-powered aircraft, while USTDA is improving the efficiency and safety of freight rail and digital customs processes. In areas around the world with high vessel traffic, DFC is also developing new ports to move goods in critical supply chains from place to place. Since its creation, DFC investments in critical infrastructure have transported over 64 million passengers alone.

 
Defense
 

  • Releasing a National Defense Industrial Strategy and Implementation Plan. This fall, the Department of Defense (DoD) released the Implementation Plan to accompany its first-ever National Defense Industrial Strategy (NDIS). The NDIS is guiding investments to strengthen supply chain resilience, including by purchasing key elements that we need for sustainable defense production. For example, the United States has invested $215 million to boost production of solid rocket motors, which are one of the most critical components used in our advanced missile systems.
     
  • Establishing domestic manufacturing capability for strategic and critical materials. From mid-2023 through September 2024, DoD invested $250 million in defense-critical materials such as graphite, lithium, niobium oxide, and manganese. These investments will ensure secure access to sources and to domestic separation and processing in support of a range of defense applications, from large-capacity batteries to advanced aircraft to microelectronics.
     
  • Investing in the defense industrial base workforce. The defense supply chain depends in large part on a strong and vibrant workforce. The Administration has pursued numerous initiatives to ensure Americans can access jobs in the defense industrial sector that pay competitive wages and get the training they need to turn these jobs into meaningful careers. Earlier this year, the Navy partnered with the Departments of Education and Labor and with the State of Michigan to launch the Michigan Maritime Manufacturing Initiative, which expands regional training pipelines for the submarine industry into the Great Lakes region.

 
Strengthening U.S. Government Data, Analytics, and Response Capacity
 

  • Preparing for a second Supply Chain Summit. In September 2024, the Department of Commerce held its first Supply Chain Summit. Commerce convened officials from government, industry, academia, and civil society to discuss how to effectively prepare for and respond to supply chain disruptions, as well as proactively improve supply chain resilience. Commerce will host another Supply Chain Summit in 2025. The Summit will bring together government, industry, and other stakeholders to examine continual progress made in increasing American supply chain resiliency. The date of the Summit will be announced in the months ahead.
  • Upgrading the new SCALE diagnostic tool. The Department of Commerce’s Industry and Analysis unit developed a first-of-its-kind supply chain diagnostic tool to assess supply chain risk across the whole of the U.S. economy. The tool proactively helps identify risks and strengthen the resilience of supply chains key to U.S. national and economic security. The Department of Commerce plans to launch a competition aimed at developing new data or analysis that can be used to expand the indicators of risk incorporated into the SCALE tool.
  • Conducting supply chain tabletop exercises with industry. In 2025, Commerce will conduct two tabletop exercises with industry to better understand opportunities to address structural supply chain risks faced by the United States. One exercise will focus on supply chain risks in the chemicals industry; the second will focus on an emerging technology where it is critical the United States maintain a strategic advantage.
     
  • Addressing supply chain risks for “critical chemicals.” Working with the interagency, Commerce is developing a list of chemicals that are essential to critical supply chains, and where supply is insecure. Alongside this effort, Commerce is finalizing short-, medium- and long-term policy proposals to strengthen the supply chain. Elements of this work will form the basis of the Chemical Tabletop Exercise in 2025.

 
Emerging Technologies
 

  • Convening industry on AI data centers. Commerce continues to drive efforts to get ahead of supply chain risks in critical and emerging technologies by developing playbooks and conducting deep dive assessments into emerging technologies such as quantum computing and clean hydrogen. In the second half of 2024, Commerce carried out a sprint to assess under-the-radar risks in AI data center supply chains, engaging more than 35 companies and leveraging in-house industry expertise and the SCALE tool to assess the highest-risk components and identify steps that government and industry can take to address them. In December, Commerce convened companies to share the results of its analysis and identify next steps.

 
Building Resilience with Allies and Partners
 

  • Presidential Summit on Global Supply Chain Resilience. In October 2021, President Biden convened over a dozen world leaders to improve international collaboration on supply chain resilience. Following the President’s convening, the Secretaries of State and Commerce hosted a Supply Chain Ministerial to further advance this work. The original Joint Statement from the ministerial now has 31 signatories who have agreed to make global supply chains more transparent, diverse, secure, and sustainable.
     
  • Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Supply Chain Agreement. The IPEF Supply Chain Agreement entered into force in February 2024 and will improve the preparedness, resilience, and competitiveness of regional supply chains. The United States and 13 Indo-Pacific partners have established a Supply Chain Council. In 2025, the Council will develop and implement action plans to strengthen supply chains across several critical industries. A Crisis Response Network will serve as a warning system for potential supply chain disruptions, and a Labor Rights Advisory Board will convene IPEF government officials, employers, and labor officials to improve labor rights and workforce development across regional supply chains.
     
  • Eradicating forced labor from supply chains. As part of the Partnership for Workers’ Rights launched in 2023, the U.S. and Brazil worked with businesses and unions to address worker vulnerability to forced labor in supply chains for cattle, coffee, gold, charcoal, and other goods.
     
  • Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI). PGI is a bipartisan initiative in partnership with the G7 to provide strategic, values-driven, and high-standard infrastructure and investment in low- and middle-income countries. Through initiatives like the Lobito Trans-Africa Corridor, highlighted on the President’s recent visit to Angola, the United States is working with partners to strengthen and diversify supply chains.
     
  • G7 Surge Financing Initiative. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), G7 development finance institutions (DFIs), European Investment Bank (EIB), International Finance Corporation (IFC), and MedAccess announced the Surge Financing Initiative for Medical Countermeasures (MCMs). Together, partners are working closely with global and regional health organizations to establish frameworks and innovative financing mechanisms to support more rapid and equitable pandemic response.
  • Boosting critical mineral capacity with partners. DFC invested over $220m in rare earth, graphite, and nickel projects in the last four years, reducing dependence on strategic adversaries and improving resilience in the critical mineral supply chain. The Department of Labor, USAID, United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), and the State Department through the Minerals Security Partnership have also provided technical support to bring new capacity online to process critical minerals in line with international best practices.
     
  • Strengthening resilient telecommunications. In Costa Rica, EXIM approved a preliminary commitment to support Costa Rica’s use of trusted vendors to deploy its 5G network. With Japan and Australia, DFC is supporting the delivery of high-quality telecommunication services for over 2.5 million subscribers across Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga, and Nauru.

Climate Action, Infrastructure, News & Photo Features

NYS Makes $28.5 Million Additional Funding Available to Install EV Fast Chargers Along Major Travel Corridors

EV chargers at the I Love NY Visitor Center-Finger Lakes, Geneva, NY. New York State is making a big push to install EV fast chargers along main travel corridors © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Governor Kathy Hochul announced an additional $28.5 million is now available to install electric vehicle fast chargers along major travel corridors across New York State. Funded by the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) formula funding program, the State’s new competitive Downstate Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC) program will improve consumer access to reliable electric vehicle (EV) charging. This second round of NEVI funding focuses on locations south of Interstate 84, including the lower Hudson Valley, New York City, and Long Island.

“This critical federal NEVI funding supports New York State’s ongoing leadership to invest in a network of electric vehicle fast chargers, particularly in areas downstate that face heavy traffic,” Governor Hochul said. “Making quick, reliable charging easily available will encourage more people to drive EVs that help to lower pollution from vehicles, provide cleaner air for New Yorkers, and improve health in our communities.”

The competitive Downstate NEVI DCFC Program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in partnership with the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), provides funding to qualified EV infrastructure developers to install and operate DCFC stations at one or more sites along Federal Highway Administration-designated Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs). Proposed sites must meet all federal requirements, including being located within one travel mile of an AFC exit, being publicly accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and having the ability to charge at least four EVs simultaneously at speeds of at least 150 kilowatts per vehicle. Sites are also required to meet federal uptime requirements for the percentage of time the charging station is functional. Proposals that close gaps between existing and planned charging stations, offer amenities such as restrooms and food, or have stations that provide multiple types of charging connectors (CCS and J3400), will be prioritized.

Designated AFCs eligible under the second round of the program include:

  • Interstate 87 south of I-84
    • Interstate 95
    • Interstate 278
    • Interstate 287
    • Interstate 495
    • Interstate 678
    • Interstate 684 south of I-84
    • New York 17 south of I-84
    • New York 25
    • New York 27

Proposals are due on March 18 by 3 p.m. ET. A complete list of all eligibility rules and evaluation criteria can be found at the solicitation summary on NYSERDA’s website.

NYSERDA will host a webinar on January 15 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and another webinar on February 12 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. to provide more details on the solicitation, project requirements and the application process.

“Building on the NEVI funding made available earlier this year, NYSERDA is proud to support the expansion of fast chargers to more areas of the state. Matching federal funding with private industry expertise will build a robust, reliable, network of chargers helping to increase the number of options available for New Yorkers and visitors alike,” stated New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris.

This announcement builds on the $21 million made available in September under the competitive Upstate NEVI Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC) to expand the number of EV charging stations along and north of Interstate 84, including areas of the State north to the Canadian border and west to Buffalo. This funding opportunity closed on December 4, 2024 and proposals are now under evaluation.

The New York State Department of Transportation was allocated $175 million under the federal NEVI program and New York was one of the first states to open a DCFC site with NEVI funding in December 2023. This was followed by four additional locations opening in 2024. More DCFC NEVI-funded sites are expected to come online in New York by the end of next year. New York’s NEVI Plan describes how the State will invest its funding and was developed by NYSDOT in collaboration with NYSERDA; the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC); the New York Power Authority (NYPA); the New York State Department of Public Service (DPS); the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA); and the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA).

“Electric vehicle users on our downstate highway system need a dependable charging infrastructure that allows them to recharge their vehicles and reliably get them to where they need to go,” stated State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said. New York is an unquestioned national leader that is literally writing the national template for sustainability in the face of global climate change, and through the National Electric Vehicle Initiative, Governor Hochul is building a foundation for a sustainable highway network that will fuel the vehicles of tomorrow.”

Additionally, Governor Hochul in March announced more than 100 new EV fast chargers will be built in New York City. EV purchases in New York have risen 660% in the last five years, and there are currently more than 15,500 chargers (a combination of DCFC and Level 2 chargers) at more than 4,500 public locations across the State. Federal funding received in January 2024 has further facilitated this growth with New York State receiving a $15 million Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Program Grant for small- to medium-sized cities, state parks and other tourist destinations, such as hotels to build out the number of EV chargers. Separate federal awards under this program were made to the New York City Department of Transportation and Oneida County. Also, New York State was also awarded $13 million to repair or replace outdated, broken or non-operational EV charging ports through the Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator Program.

“The installation of fast chargers at regular intervals in key locations along our more utilized roadways makes it easier for New Yorkers to drive an EV and reduces greenhouse gas emissions from transportation,” said New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll.  “The New York Power Authority is pleased to see additional federal funding that will help accelerate the build-out of a reliable network of fast chargers that will improve travel throughout the lower Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island—regions where many EV drivers live, work and play.”

New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare said, “The Thruway Authority is committed to creating a robust network of electric vehicle charging stations along the 570-mile Thruway system, which spans from the lower Hudson Valley to Albany, west to the Pennsylvania state line. Currently there are 75 universal fast charging stations in operation on the Thruway and by the end of 2025, there will be more than 130 fast charging EV stations on the system. By offering electric vehicle charging stations an average of 30 miles between locations, customers will have a reliable, seamless system of electric vehicle charging stations that supports a modernized transportation system, serving millions of motorists every year.”

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law I led to passage is supercharging new electric vehicle charging stations across New York, and this $28.5 million in federal funding from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure grant program will help install electric vehicle fast chargers across the lower Hudson Valley, New York City, and Long Island,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said. “More EV fast chargers will support the adoption of cleaner, electric vehicles, make charging your car in New York as easy and convenient as filling up a gas tank, and help create an emissions-free future. With this impactful federal support and partnership with the state, New York is getting a major jolt to build out their network of electric vehicle charging stations across the entire state.”

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, “With more electric vehicles on the road, it is essential that New York has the necessary charging infrastructure to meet the increased demand,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding will help install electric vehicle fast chargers throughout the state, helping ensure that all EV users can have the charging ports they need to get to their destinations. I was proud to have fought for the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and I will continue to make sure that New York’s infrastructure meets the needs of the 21st century.”

New York State is investing nearly $3 billion in electrifying its transportation sector, which is vital to meeting the State’s sweeping climate and clean energy plan, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York is rapidly advancing measures that all new passenger cars and trucks sold be zero emissions by 2035, along with all school buses being zero emissions the same year. In addition to the NEVI program, there are a range of other initiatives to grow access to EVs and improve clean transit for all New Yorkers including EV Make Ready , EVolve NY , Charge Ready 2.0, the Drive Clean Rebate, the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP), the New York School Bus Incentive Program, and the Direct Current Fast Charger Program.

New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.

Biden Administration, Climate Action, Climate Change, Energy, Infrastructure, Jobs, Manufacturing, News & Photo Features

Memo to America: Biden’s Investing in America Policy to Building Sustainable Economy Has Generated $1 Trillion in Private Sector Investment in Clean Energy, Manufacturing

More than 3.4 million American families have already saved $8.4 billion on home clean energy upgrades, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. Three million more households in America have high-speed internet today than when President Biden took office. There are already more than 74,000 infrastructure and clean energy projects underway across the country, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act. That includes 11,400 bridge projects, 196,000 miles of roads under repair, and 376,000 lead pipes already replaced, benefitting nearly 1 million people. Millions of seniors are benefitting from the $35 cap on the cost of insulin, and the cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries has already saved 1.5 million seniors nearly $1 billion in the first half of 2024, with Medicare beneficiaries feeling the full benefits starting in January. © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

People said they voted against Kamala Harris because they were just so so very upset about inflation, how they were suffering in this terrible economy, so voted for the guy who not only had no policy, plan or program to address inflation or high prices, but whose stated Project 2025 policies (tariffs) would hurt the economy, jobs and prices. But I am wondering how bad the economy really could be if holiday spending is already up 9%, malls and online sites are seeing massive increases in shoppers, there is record travel on the roads and through airports. Oh, by the way, gas prices are around $3 or less a gallon – close to 2019; – and inflation has fallen below 2.3% for the year, comparable to 2019, while REAL wage increases (that is increased income compared to inflation) are up on average $4000; Thanksgiving meal prices are down. But those working class people (suckers) who think that Trump will give them a better deal? Are you kidding or just really willfully ignorant? Have you seen the billionaires, kleptocrats, oligarchs (not to mention the misogynists, sexual predators and felons) he is installing in power? They are already salivating at shutting down the National Labor Relations Board, ending food and product safety regulation, environmental protection, restricting food stamps and vaccinations for poor children and cutting Medicare and Social Security, while serving up deeper tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals (the top 0.1% already control more wealth than 50 percent of the country) and corporations, already sitting on record profits from price-gouging.

Biden’s Deputy Chief of Staff offered this memo “to interested parties” on what President Biden accomplished that I’m betting 99.9% of Americans have no clue about $1 TRILLION in private sector investment in clean energy and manufacturing since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office because of Biden’s Investing in America agenda, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, Inflation Reduction Act – all of which Republicans tried to block, obstruct, sabotage and now threaten to repeal.It’s like the way Republicans were able to generate hostility to Obama’s Affordable Care Act in order to win the 2010 midterms and how Obamacare has become so popular and important in people’s lives, but Trump and the MAGA Republicans are still keen to repeal it, leaving millions without healthcare desperate and insecure – Karen Rubin, news-photos-features.com

On the success of $1 trillion in investment due to his policies and approach to building a sustainable economy “from the bottom up and the middle out,” President Biden stated:

When I took office, the pandemic was raging and the economy was reeling. From Day One, I was determined to not only deliver economic relief, but to invest in America and grow the economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down.

Over the last four years, that’s exactly what we’ve done. We passed legislation to rebuild our infrastructure, build a clean energy economy, and bring manufacturing back to the United States after decades of offshoring. Today I’m proud to announce my Investing in America agenda—the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act—has helped attract over $1 trillion in announced private-sector investments. These investments in industries of the future are ensuring the future is made in America, by American workers. And they’re creating opportunities in communities too often left behind.

Over 1.6 million construction and manufacturing jobs have been created over the last four years, and our investments are making America a leader in clean energy and semiconductor technologies that will protect our economic and national security, while expanding opportunities in red states and blue states.

Today, thanks to my Investing in America agenda, businesses around the world are investing in America—which is good news for American workers and American businesses—and we’re positioned to win the economic competition for the 21st century.

To: Interested Parties

From: Natalie Quillian, White House Deputy Chief of Staff

MEMO: President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda’s Growing Durability and Popularity

When President Biden and Vice President Harris came into office, America was in the midst of a deadly pandemic and our economy was reeling. Since then, President Biden and Vice President Harris have overseen one of the most successful administrations in history and will be leaving behind the best economy in the world.

Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership, 16 million jobs have been created, and we’ve gotten women and people of color back in the labor force at record rates. A record 20 million new business applications have been filed, and inflation is down to near pre-pandemic levels. These outcomes are due in part to our success in passing and implementing legislation that rebuilt our nation’s infrastructure, made the largest investment in climate action in history, lowered prescription drug costs, and spurred a manufacturing renaissance. Together, the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act – the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda – are reshaping our economy. And as of today, that agenda has helped spur over $1 trillion in private sector investment in clean energy and manufacturing since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office.

The level of private sector investment seen under this administration is unprecedented. Business leaders have called the boom in private investment “nothing short of extraordinary,” and have said the United States’ economy is “among the best performing economies” in decades. It is driving a manufacturing renaissance across the country and onshoring new and growing industries such as semiconductors, solar, batteries, and more. It’s also helping rebuild communities and create opportunity in places that were overlooked or left behind by public and private investment for far too long.

As of today, the Department of Commerce has announced over two dozen preliminary or final agreements with semiconductor manufacturing companies to create American-made chips in Phoenix, Arizona; Columbus, Ohio; Taylor, Texas; Syracuse, New York, and more, spurring over $400 billion in private investment that will create at least 125,000 jobs. Over $119 billion in investments in EVs and batteries and $122 billion in clean power have been announced in just the two years since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed. Recent announcements show these investments have continued at a steady pace. For example, in the last month alone, SolarCycle announced it would invest $400 million in Georgia for the largest solar panel recycling facility in the country, MainSpring Energy announced it would match an $87 million grant from the Department of Energy to manufacture power generators in Allegheny County, PA, and Microporous announced a $1.35 billion investment to create 2,000 jobs building battery separators in southern Virginia.

In addition to private investment, the Biden-Harris Administration has been implementing these laws quickly, effectively and equitably since the day the first Investing in America bill was signed. Due to that effort, there are already more than 74,000 infrastructure and clean energy projects underway across the country, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act. That includes 11,400 bridge projects, 196,000 miles of roads under repair, and 376,000 lead pipes already replaced, benefitting nearly 1 million people. More than 3.4 million American families have already saved $8.4 billion on home clean energy upgrades, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. Three million more households in America have high-speed internet today than when President Biden took office. Millions of seniors are benefitting from the $35 cap on the cost of insulin, and the cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries has already saved 1.5 million seniors nearly $1 billion in the first half of 2024, with Medicare beneficiaries feeling the full benefits starting in January.

To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has announced awards for 98% of Investing in America funding available for us to spend by the end of fiscal year 2024. Departments and agencies are running through the tape – announcing more awards, finalizing contracts and grant agreements, and accelerating permitting timelines. For example, the Department of Transportation executed more than twice as many grant agreements compared to the prior administration, completed 20 percent more environmental reviews in the transportation sector, and cut the time it takes to complete environmental assessments for transportation projects by one third.

These programs and projects mean real benefits for people across the country. It’s why as we continue to implement the Investing in America agenda, we see these programs grow in popularity even among skeptics, suggesting that the transformation of the U.S. economy is here to stay. For example:

  • Nearly 8 in 10 Americans support keeping the Inflation Reduction Act’s $35 per month cap on the cost of insulin for seniors, including 76% of Republicans.
  • A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 88% of Americans support the Administration’s work building or repairing our nation’s roads, bridges, rail lines, ports and other infrastructure.
  • Outside groups have found that the majority of private sector investments spurred by Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credits are going to red districts, and 57 percent of the new clean energy jobs created since the Inflation Reduction Act passed are located in Congressional districts represented by Republicans.

The progress we’ve made, however, represents only a fraction of the full impact of this agenda. As the President said earlier this month, the impacts of this historic agenda “will be felt over the next 10 years.” If future Administrations continue to implement at the pace we have, people across the country will enjoy the benefits of safer water, cleaner air, faster internet, and smoother commutes.  For example, by the end of 2026, the country is on track to have launched repairs on a total of over 356,000 miles of highway and over 20,800 bridges with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By the end of 2028, communities will replace more than one million toxic lead pipes, bringing clean water to over 2.5 million people and protecting the health and safety of children and families.  And by 2030, 6 million more households and small businesses will have access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet.

Also, major projects we’ve funded will be completed in the coming years. For example, TSMC’s first Arizona factory will fully open in early 2025 and for the first time in decades, an American manufacturing plant will produce leading-edge chips. Service on the Brightline West High Speed Rail System, connecting Las Vegas, Nevada to Rancho Cucamonga, California, is on track to start in 2028, in time for the Los Angeles Olympics. A project to replace Michigan’s outdated I-375 freeway will be completed in the same year.

Over the coming months, the Biden-Harris Administration will continue the critical work of implementing the Investing in America agenda by announcing more awards, finalizing contracts and grant agreements, and making sure these investments are reaching the American people. While the full effects won’t be realized for years to come, it’s clear that the Investing in America agenda – and its impacts on the economy, on communities, and on American families – is here to stay.