New York State’s GAP Fund: Quantifying Unmet Need
New York State’s Green Affordable Pre-Electrification (GAP) Fund would provide funding and technical assistance for homes and buildings in need of a wide-range of currently unfunded retrofits that are necessary for healthy buildings and the achievement of New York’s climate mandates. To demonstrate the need for GAP Fund (S.3315/A.2101), WE ACT 4 Change commissioned the Fiscal Policy Institute to develop a brief that estimates 1) the number of New Yorkers considered to be low- or moderate-income (LMI) that are eligible for existing energy efficiency and weatherization programs offered by New York State; 2) the number of LMI New Yorkers who need housing remediation before doing energy efficiency upgrades; and 3) the impact of $200 million for a GAP Fund in the FY2026 budget.
Written by Emily Eisner, Chief Economist at the Fiscal Policy Institute. Download the brief here.
New York’s Household Energy Burden Imperative: Challenges and Solutions
More than 2 million New York households struggle with excessive energy costs, spending more than 6 percent of their income on electricity and gas. In 2022 alone, these excess energy burdens totaled $2.28 billion, disproportionately affecting low-income households earning less than $45,000 per year. Despite the size of energy burdens in New York, addressing excess household energy burdens in the state is achievable, as policymakers and regulators can make use of a wide range of program and policy levers to help bring down household costs. Acadia Center’s latest report – done in partnership with WE ACT 4 Change – examines the scale of the issue, explores policy and program solutions, including energy affordability programs, community solar, weatherization and electrification retrofits, bill assistance programs, and advanced rate design reforms. As lawmakers and regulators consider new strategies to tackle this crisis, policies like the NY HEAT Act present an opportunity to strengthen energy affordability commitments.
Written by Ben Butterworth, Jamie Dickerson, Paola Moncada Tamayo, and Oliver Tully of the Acadia Center.
DOWNLOAD THE REPORT: To make this analysis accessible, Acadia Center has developed a one-page explainer, a medium-length version, and a full report with in-depth findings and policy recommendations. Read the full report to learn how policymakers can take action to make energy affordability a reality for households in New York.