At the State Of The State Address on January 10, 2023, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul introduced an ambitious response to climate change. Largely ignored in the reporting over those efforts is a plan to switch State Parks to 100 percent renewable energy by 2030.
State Parks will achieve this goal by generating their own electricity, and by prioritizing other green resources, including community solar and purchasing renewable energy from local facilities.
The effort began when Governor Hochul signed an Executive Order in 2022 to establish the State’s sustainability and climate directives and set new goals for the environmental performance of State agencies. Hocul said the 100% goal will be achieved by State Parks generating its own electricity and prioritizing other green resources, including community solar and purchasing renewable energy from local facilities.
Currently, State Parks facilities use approximately 50 million kWh of electricity from the grid. Approximately 90% of state parks’ property remain natural, with natural lakes, streams, rivers, ocean beaches and dunes, as well as scenic waterfalls, gorges, springs and bluffs.
Photo of Franklin D Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park.
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