Advocates say the New York Power Authority is a “sleeping giant” in the energy transition.
By Emily Pontecorvo, Grist
On Monday night, more than 200 activists tuned into a “rapid response” Zoom call organized by the New York chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA. It was a chance to regroup after a rollercoaster week where it looked as though a DSA-authored climate bill might make it through the state legislature.
The bill, called the Build Public Renewables Act, soared through the New York State Senate last Wednesday. After a zealous eleventh-hour push by grassroots organizers to garner support in the Assembly, it appeared to have the 76 “yeas” required to send it to the governor’s desk, and then some. But on Saturday, Carl Heastie, the Democratic speaker of the Assembly, brought the year’s legislative session to a close without ever giving his colleagues a chance to vote on it.

“We need to consider this as the beginning of our movement as opposed to the end,” Zohran Mamdani, a state assembly member from Queens, said on the Monday call.
Supporters of the bill painted it as a climate package that would have sped up the pace at which renewable energy comes online in New York state. But beyond that, it would have opened the door for a larger role for publicly owned power, testing whether giving the government more ownership over the clean energy transition can deliver in ways that the private market hasn’t.
Recent Posts
GOP-Led Congressional Committee Votes To Block Trump From Rescheduling Marijuana
September 14, 2025
Take Action Now Can the Trump administration, or any administration, declare people guilty and treat them as criminals, absent the transparent legal…
Never Forget What?
September 13, 2025
Take Action Now Never forget meant never forgive. Never forget meant someone would pay. And with my Muslim name, my South Asian heritage, I knew who…
Alex Main On Venezuelan Boat Assault
September 12, 2025
Take Action Now Can the Trump administration, or any administration, declare people guilty and treat them as criminals, absent the transparent legal…
Gaza Aid Security Contractor Hired Members of “Islamophobic Hate Group” Biker Club, Dem Rep Says
September 12, 2025
Take Action Now At least 10 members of the Infidels worked in Gaza for GHF’s security contractor, the BBC reported, with seven in oversight roles.…