The CLCPA was a commitment – Now it requires follow-through

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In 2019, New York made a clear and ambitious commitment through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA): to build a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient economy for the long term. At its heart, the law recognized something fundamental—that our energy choices are inseparable from our health, our economic future, and the well-being of our communities. That commitment now calls for continued resolve from our Governor and state leadership to see it through.

For regions like the Finger Lakes, that vision is not abstract. We see every day how these issues show up in people’s lives—whether it’s the strain of rising utility bills, the condition of housing, or the long-term health impacts tied to environmental conditions. The CLCPA offers a path to address these challenges together: stabilizing energy costs over time, improving air quality, creating new economic opportunities, and investing in communities that have too often carried the heaviest burdens.

But realizing those benefits requires more than a plan—it requires follow-through. Transitions of this scale are rarely smooth. They bring real questions about cost, pace, and impact. They also unfold in a broader context that is shifting in real time. At the federal level, we are seeing changes in posture and policy that introduce uncertainty into long-term planning. Globally, geopolitical instability continues to affect energy markets, contributing to price volatility and reinforcing just how interconnected these systems are.

All of this makes the current moment more complex. It can be tempting, in periods like this, to slow down or reconsider the path forward. But these are also the conditions that underscore why a more stable, diversified, and forward-looking energy system matters in the first place.

The question is not whether the transition is challenging. The question is how we respond to those challenges. If history tells us anything, it is that the benefits of long-term investments are earned by staying committed through the difficult middle—not by stepping back from them. The work already underway across our region—investments in energy efficiency, cleaner technologies, and healthier homes—is beginning to lay that foundation.

As a Community Foundation, we sit close to both the promise and the pressure of this moment. We hear from residents who are feeling the strain today, and we also see the long-term opportunity to build something more stable, more equitable, and more durable for the future. Holding both of those realities at once is not easy—but it is necessary.

That is why this moment calls for steady leadership. We respectfully urge the Governor and State Legislature to remain committed to the CLCPA and the vision behind it. By continuing to engage openly, address challenges directly, and keep sight of the long-term goals, New York can deliver on the promise it made—to build a future that works better for all of its residents.

Simeon Banister is President & CEO of the Rochester Area Community Foundation.