Advocates across the state are unhappy with proposed cuts to the state’s EmPower+ program, which supports energy costs for low-and-moderate income households.
A dozen people gathered outside New York State’s Energy Research and Development’s Albany office Wednesday to protest an alleged reduction in funds. The EmPower+ program helps residents with improvements like air sealing, heat pumps and wiring upgrades. The program is estimated to save the average household $600 a year.
In July, NYSERDA moved to shut down the process for contractors applying to program on behalf of eligible applicants, effective through the end of the year. NYSERDA says customers can still select participating contractors, and NYSERDA will assign a contractor and reassess the application process based off of upcoming engagement sessions.
At that same July meeting, NYSERDA officials justified the changes, in part, by showing a graph outlining the program’s funding reduction dramatically. After an initial influx of state funding for the program, support is expected to drop by around $140 million by 2027, meaning the program that currently pays out $220 million annually will need to be reduced to around $80 million over two years.
Assemblymember Dana Levenberg represents New York’s 95th District. The Democrat says while the program supports the cost of implementing cleaner technology, that cleaner tech is itself more affordable and accessible. At a time when the state is hyper focused on meeting clean-energy goals, she says without adequate funding, the program fails those who can’t afford clean energy.
“We know that utility costs are going up and up and up, and this is a way to keep the to keep homes affordable to live in, and we know that that's something that we need to keep doing,” Levenberg said. “The other thing is, we know that this program has been extremely successful, and we want to make sure that it stays on track to continue to do so.”
But NYSERDA says the claims that funding is being cut are “simply not true.” A spokesperson for the agency says the 2025-2026 budget included $50 million for EmPower+, building on a one-time infusion of $200 million in the 2023 state budget.
NYSERDA says the program relies on multiple funding sources, and it develops plans based on known available funding, ensuring fiscal responsibility.
Levenberg, who sponsors many climate change and energy efficiency related bills, says she and others aren’t looking for more money – just to hold the funding levels currently available, the $220 million mark.
“We don't want to see roll backs to the program beyond what has it has been in place,” Levenberg said. “Seeing roll back to the program that's been so successful means it's harder for our green contractors to make ends meet. It's harder for people living in their homes to make ends to make ends meet. It's harder for people to actually help improve their energy efficiency for their own buildings and their own homes.”
Under current guidelines, the program grants low-income, single-family households up to $10,000 per approved project. And for moderate-income families, no-cost energy efficiency improvements are capped at $5,000 per project. The projects are determined following a home energy assessment.
Jay Best is the CEO and founder of Green Team Long Island. A contractor, Best says investing in the program benefits the state’s economic development goals. He says his team works in thousands of homes each month, making green-energy development supported by EmPower+ a win-win for business and climate goals.
“We're putting lots of lots of people to work making these homes better. It's workers that cannot be exported and can't be you know, can't be done elsewhere,” Best said. “It has to be done here in New York by New Yorkers, and I think it's a really important program for us.”
