HAPPY FALL!

We hope that you can join us to reconnect with friends and colleagues from years past, hear from NYPIRG’s new executive director, Megan Ahearn, about our urgent issues and campaigns, and support our current work.

Thank you, and we hope to see you there!

NYPIRG rallied before the New York City Council Committee on Housing and Buildings meeting to demand a hearing on Intro 1180 be on the agenda for the next committee meeting in October! We have a chance with this council to solidify protections and strengthen Local Law 97, despite the current mayor's attempts to weaken the law. Let's get this done this year!

NYPIRG, TH!RD ACT Upstate New York, and our coalition partners were at Sun Day in Upstate New York!

Inspired by the transformative impact of the original Earth Day in 1970, Sun Day is a national day of action to harness the power of people, culture, and advocacy to celebrate and accelerate the rapid build-out of renewable energy. Sun Day specifically spotlights how solar and wind are the most affordable, most reliable, and most expeditious sources of energy. Sun Day events in Upstate New York bring together activists, businesses, workers, homeowners, renters, farmers, students, and policymakers to demonstrate widespread support for the ongoing transition to renewable energy. Through arts and music, storytelling, teach-ins, and fun activities for all ages, Sun Day events showcase New York’s affordable, reliable clean energy future as we leave behind the planet-crushing toxicity of fossil fuels.

Governor Hochul must reject the Williams NESE Pipeline NOW!

NYPIRG and our allies rallied at the New York State Draft Energy Plan Hearing against gas pipelines and nuclear power plants. New York needs a state energy plan to get off of fossil fuels and expand renewable energy — not more proposed delays and dirty fuels! Not only is it the law, but it is what’s best for the climate, public health, and our wallets.

As we approach New York's October 25 voter registration deadline for the upcoming November 4 general election, NYPIRG's campus chapters registered over 1,000 students to vote across the state!

Check your New York voter registration status: https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov

Register to vote:

• For New York City: https://e-register.vote.nyc
• For the rest of New York State: https://nyovr.elections.ny.gov

Get #VoteReady to MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!

NYPIRG and our coalition partners rallied and handed out flyers asking New Yorkers to call Governor Hochul and tell her to stop the Williams NESE Pipeline.

NYPIRG delivered our coalition's 10,000+ comments to Governor Hochul to defeat the Williams NESE Pipeline once and for all! We held a rally and press conference to demand that the governor listens to New Yorkers and refuses to cave to federal pressure. No more zombie pipelines!

NYPIRG organized a hands-on beach clean-up and waste audit. We collected and analyzed the types of trash found along the shoreline to better understand how we can make our beaches more sustainable.

New York State officials have agreed to consider reviving long-dead fracked gas pipelines, including Williams’ Constitution and NESE pipelines. NYPIRG joined our coalition partners for a march to protect our state from the oil and gas industry's polluting practices. Their pipelines would pollute our air and water, harm our health, and worsen the climate crisis. Moreover, everyday New Yorkers must not be left paying more for dirty pipelines while fossil fuel comanies reap the profits!

NYPIRG helped to pass the All-Electric Building Act (AEBA) into law. Now, the Building Codes Council has approved the energy codes that implement the law. NYPIRG held a news conference with elected officials and our coalition partners to support full implementation of the AEBA and to commemorate this step forward!

Students, local elected officials, and transportation advocates presented nearly 1,500 petition signatures along with our student-led "QueensLink NOW" report in support of the QueensLink project!

In addition to formally delivering the petition to Governor Hochul and New York City Mayor Adams, the event highlighted key findings from the "QueensLink Now" report, which outlines the need for expanded transit options and their potential impact on our community.

The QueensLink project aims to transform the old Rockaway Beach Branch rail line into a modern, efficient transit corridor connecting underserved neighborhoods in Queens to the broader New York City transportation network. By reactivating this historic route, QueensLink would provide faster, more reliable connections; reduce traffic congestion; and promote economic development across the borough. It is a crucial step toward a more sustainable, equitable public transit system in Queens.

Check out our "QueensLink Now" report!

NYPIRG rallied with coalition partners Food & Water Watch, New York Communities for Change, 350 Brooklyn, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, and Fridays for Future at New York City Council Member Keith Powers' office. The groups delivered over 500 petition signatures from constituents calling on him to co-sponsor Intro 1180, a loophole-closing bill that would strengthen Local Law 97 and further reduce climate-warming pollution in New York City.

NYPIRG students who participate as counselors in our Small Claims Court Action Center had the opportunity to observe Small Claims proceedings in Brooklyn. Thank you to Judge Epstein for inviting us!

What would guaranteed, comprehensive healthcare mean for you and your community?

NYPIRG and our co-hosts held a town hall to discuss how the New York Health Act — our state's universal healthcare bill — will greatly expand healthcare for everyone who lives or works full time in New York and make it truly affordable for all. We also discussed how to fight back against current threats to cut and privatize traditional, public Medicaid and Medicare, immigrant rights, and the barriers to healthcare that are impacting you and your community.

During New York City budget negotiations, NYPIRG and our allies rallied to support CUNY opportunity programs, student scholarships, student services, and free student MetroCards.

Cosponsors: NYPIRG, CUNY USS, PSC/CUNY, Young Invincibles, UAspire, and CUNY Rising Alliance

NYPIRG, Renewable Heat Now, and our allies made a powerful push to pass the NY HEAT Act in Albany only one week before the end of the legislative session!

The NY HEAT Act — a crucial bill for lower energy bills, cleaner heat, and a healthier future — is practical, popular, and necessary. This bill will:

• Stop wasteful fracked gas expansion paid for by our utility bills.
• Invest in modern, clean energy like heat pumps.
• Make energy more affordable for all.

The state legislature cannot let another session go by without passing the NY HEAT Act. The gas utilites keep raising rates to pay for costly new fracked gas pipes — this is outrageous. The NY HEAT Act is the bill that we need to start the transition to clean home energy, and we need it NOW!

With momentum growing in the New York State Legislature to pass a statewide rebate program for purchasing electric lawn equipment, representatives from STIHL, EGO, Milwaukee Tools, Ryobi, The Home Depot, and Ace Hardware joined organizers from NYPIRG, Environment America, and other advocacy groups for an informative day of testing out cleaner, quieter electric lawn equipment. The “Electric Lawn Equipment Demo Day” offered state legislators and their staff, as well local residents, the opportunity to learn about the benefits of going electric.

NYPIRG was with Beyond Plastics and many other advocates who want to put people and planet over plastic in New York State. We rallied in support of the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act and the Bigger Better Bottle Bill, which we need passed this legislative session in order to address New York's solid waste crisis!

On Monday, May 5, NYPIRG Staff Attorney Kyle Giller testified at the New York City Banking Commission hearing about the need to divest our tax dollars from Wall Street and establish a public bank that could reinvest our tax dollars into local community needs.

On Tuesday, May 6th, NYPIRG and our allies went to Albany to meet with state legislators and rally in support of the New York State Public Banking Act and the Bank of Rochester Act, which will provide a path for public investment into climate infrastructure, fair financial services, and affordable housing.

NYPIRG IS 50 YEARS OLD!

That is an incredible testament to the dedication, hard work, and luck that has allowed us to meet the half-century mark. It is quite a milestone – which we marked with the NYPIRG 50th Anniversary Celebration.

The event was a rousing success, and we all had a wonderful time celebrating NYPIRG’s decades of tireless work for the public interest, reconnecting with friends and colleagues from years past, and honoring our 2023 Changemaker Award recipients – including renowned author and activist Jane Fonda!

We are pleased to share these event photos and this commemorative video that highlights NYPIRG's decades of tireless work for the public interest.

Thank you so much to everyone who was involved – our honorees, current and former students and staff, friends, colleagues, and supporters – for your generous support and steadfast commitment to our crucial mission.

Thanks again, and we look forward to the work ahead!