During the NYC Council’s ongoing budget hearings on Tuesday, May 14th, Local 3 member Mike Hanlon joined the Climate Jobs coalition to testify in support of Public Solar Power legislation (Intro 353). This law would direct the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), in coordination with the Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, to install 100 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (i.e., solar panel) systems on city-owned buildings by the end of 2025 and 150 MW of solar panel systems at city-owned properties, including buildings and parking lots, by the end of 2030.
This law is currently a priority of the Carbon-Free and Healthy Schools campaign led by the Climate Jobs coalition of private and public-sector unions. According to Climate Jobs, the NYC Public Solar Power bill will create 1,500 jobs while lowering the city’s carbon footprint and energy costs. It is important that this work gets done with union labor and training like Local 3’s.
The City Council and Mayor must agree on an Adopted Budget for fiscal year (FY) 2025 before the July 1st deadline.
