New York has established energy policy based on conceptions that do not hold up to numerate scrutiny. This post addresses the idea that New York wind energy can reliably power the electric system and in tandem with solar energy can replace existing generating resources. In order for the statewide wind energy resource to be considered a reliable source the distribution of wind energy must not include significant periods with low power output.

In the summer of 2019 the Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) which was described as the most ambitious and comprehensive climate and clean energy legislation in the country when Cuomo signed the legislation. The Citizens Budget Commission developed an overview of the CLCPA targets in Green in Perspective: 6 Facts to Help New Yorkers Understand the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

As the coronavirus shutdown measures ravage the New York economy, the city finds itself in a fiscal crisis reminiscent of the 1970s, one that experts believe will require cutting the city workforce and, more drastically, receivership of the city's finances.

“We now have a significant revenue shortfall,” said Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission. “The federal government should support those needs, but that still leaves us with significant gaps in economic growth.”

Experts believe a budget takeover by the Financial Control Board, which would dilute the mayor and the City Council's decision making power, may be necessary.

Budget officials believe upwards of $8.2 billion in cuts will be necessary next month alone.

“The state really spends most of its money on Medicaid and education so those are the two areas that are likely to see the biggest cuts,” said David Friedfel to Spectrum News. He serves as director of State Studies for the Citizens Budget Commission.

“The state is going to have to be very careful that it targets those cuts to school districts that can still provide a sound, basic education even if they don’t have as much state resources coming in. And that the state’s neediest schools continue to get state revenue because they don’t have the local tax base to depend on,” Friedfel added.

Cuomo aides confirmed the memo was issued after CNHI obtained a copy from other government officials.

Fiscal watchdogs said the new belt-tightening moves appear to be a prelude for what will be even stronger measures to slash state spending.

"To use an analogy, they are taking their foot off the accelerator now because they will have to slam on the brakes soon," said David Friedfel, director of state studies for the Citizens Budget Commission.

Third, the State should implement the governor’s announced integrated hospital program as permanent policy, insuring that scarce resources are allocated according to community need.

Fourth, the State Legislature should consider capturing the excess revenue of non-profit hospitals, as recommended in the recent Citizens Budget Commission report. In 2018, the five large private systems serving New York City earned $1.5 billion more than they spent. A substantial chunk of that money would go a long way toward redressing hospital inequality.

Make changes now, because there is more bad news coming.

New York’s financial outlook says that a recession ‘worse’ than 2008 is expected in the months following the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Budget officials believe upwards of $8.2 billion in cuts will be necessary next month alone.



“The state really spends most of its money on Medicaid and education so those are the two areas that are likely to see the biggest cuts,” said David Friedfel to Spectrum News. He serves as director of State Studies for the Citizens Budget Commission.

“The state is going to have to be very careful that it targets those cuts to school districts that can still provide a sound, basic education even if they don’t have as much state resources coming in. And that the state’s neediest schools continue to get state revenue because they don’t have the local tax base to depend on,” Friedfel added.

Altogether the state is expected to lose $60 billion in revenue this year, which equates to roughly $10 billion less in total spending.

The ugly side of this news is that it’s likely going to worsen next year before it improves.

“Next year is likely to be as bad or worse, so they need to make changes that are going to provide savings in the long term and not just defer payments,” Friedfel continued.

Fiscal watchdogs said the new belt-tightening moves appear to be a prelude for what will be even stronger measures to slash state spending.

"To use an analogy, they are taking their foot off the accelerator now because they will have to slam on the brakes soon," said David Friedfel, director of state studies for the Citizens Budget Commission.

That also echoes budget experts from the Citizens Budget Commission and the Manhattan Institute who have repeatedly urged the mayor to streamline and reform the capital budgeting process. There has been some progress over the last few years but not nearly enough, they say.

“CBC has been saying for a while that the capital budget is too large, and the timing of it is unrealistic, and we've urged them to make sure that it's better targeted,” said Sean Campion, senior research associate at Citizens Budget Commission.

“The long and winding road back,” (column, April 23): We all agree, as Errol Louis wrote, that New York City and state need to design a smart path to emerge from the current health, economic and fiscal crises. Watchdogs have a critical role to play in laying out that route. Unfortunately, ideas that would have helped today, including creating a rainy day fund, have languished for years. That is why people from across the public and private sector should remain vigilant in calling for appropriate changes.

We should not let the mistakes of the past persist into the future. Insufficient budget reserves makes today’s choices more painful than necessary. Absent enough efficiencies, savings and federal aid, the choices sadly may include reductions in important services and the public workforce, or tax increases and borrowing. A well-resourced rainy day fund would have been a game-changer — helping protect New Yorkers both today and tomorrow. Its creation should be part of any planning process to create a safe and vibrant future for New York City.

Andrew Rein, President, Citizens Budget Commission

As the fiscal watchdog group Citizens Budget Commission noted in a report last year, the subsidy for each ferry ride was $10.73, ten times that of the New York City Transit system. It has since fallen to $9.34, but is projected to rise again with new routes. The mayor has struggled to justify those subsidies, which are expected to grow, particularly after data showed that only about 5.6 million people used the ferry in an entire year, when more than that number rode the subway every day (in the pre-coronavirus world). A majority of ferry commuters also tended to be white, upper-income New Yorkers rather than low-income commuters of color.

Unlike other transit systems, NYC Ferry doesn’t rely on fares as a major part of its revenue. In the 2019 fiscal year, only 24% of its revenue came from fares, an increase of 2% from the year before, according to an analysis by Citizens Budget Commission. Each ride on the ferry costs $2.75, the same as a standard bus or subway fare, though it isn’t integrated with those systems. Despite the roughly $10 per ride subsidy to operate the system as it has been, de Blasio has insisted from the start on pegging the fare to that of the subway and bus, and said the city has been working on fare integration with the MTA, though several years in there has been no news on such a partnership.

Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens Budget Commission, commended de Blasio for balancing the budget without tax increases or borrowing, but said the proposal “has used a short-term strategy that leaves a significant gap in fiscal year 2022, which could be worse if the economy does not rebound as the City project.

Under the original program, schools have to give homeowners the tax break on the bills, then await reimbursement from the state.

“Shifting more people from the exemption to the rebate check may have some administrative benefits,” said David Friedfel, director of state studies at the Citizens Budget Commission, a business-backed New York group.

“But because of how the shifts of other STAR beneficiaries have been administered, it also masks growth in state operating spending.”