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WASHINGTON, D.C. — As governors convene in the nation’s capital for the National Governors Association Winter Meeting this week, the U.S. Climate Alliance — a bipartisan coalition of governors representing approximately 60 percent of the U.S. economy and 55 percent of the U.S. population — is spotlighting its members’ continued commitment to climate action in 2024.
“As governors across the country lay out their priorities for the year, it’s clear bold climate action will continue to be front and center,” said Alliance Executive Director Casey Katims.
Over the past two months, more than a dozen of the Alliance’s governors have delivered their annual state of the state addresses. In these remarks, members have detailed their progress, reaffirmed their commitment to climate action, and announced a number of initiatives to bolster climate resilience, expand clean public transit options, conserve more land and plant more trees, build more clean energy projects and train more clean energy workers, cut electric vehicle costs and grow the charging network, encourage green manufacturers and manufacturing, and much more.
A full roundup of climate-focused excerpts from state of the state remarks delivered by Alliance governors (as prepared) is below. The Alliance highlighted several of these excerpts in a series of social media posts today and will continue to do so throughout the next month. Other Alliance governors are expected to deliver their speeches in the weeks ahead.
And, make no mistake, I will always put the people of Arizona first. That’s why I have taken action to ensure our strengthening economy provides opportunities for any Arizonan who wants to succeed.
With our investments in Future48 workforce accelerators, we will prepare thousands of Arizonans every year for jobs building our nation’s future in industries like semiconductors, renewable energy, and aerospace and defense.
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We have not put the decades-long drought in our rearview mirror yet. We must always strive to do more through expanding public-private partnerships, increasing conservation, exploring new technology, and maintaining a steadfast commitment to strengthening protections where needed.
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Let us remember that water and drought do not care about party registration or job titles or whether you live in an urban or rural community. We can only protect our water supply by working together. I stand ready to work with you to pass legislation that makes the changes we need today – all to safeguard Arizona’s water for tomorrow. And to those who have spent years refusing to act: if you don’t, I will.
What it comes down to is creating a Colorado where people from all backgrounds can live in homes they can afford near accessible and reliable transportation options – buses, bikes, and walkable neighborhoods.
Imagine leaving your home and heading to the train stop or bus station just a few blocks away. Maybe you walk or ride your bike. From there you ride to work in the morning in style, and because the schedule is reliable, you know exactly what time you’ll catch the train or bus to come home later that day. You don’t have to worry about whether you have enough gas, or if the roads will be icy. And if you do choose to drive a car, there is less traffic. On the weekends you use that same transit stop to head downtown to see me play in a World Series Champion Rockies game or for dinner with your friends. And because you live in a home you can afford and are saving money on gas and car repairs, you can put your money toward other priorities. What a wonderful day in Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood… and soon more neighborhoods across our state.
This is already happening in communities like Olde Town Arvada and downtown Fort Collins, where thriving downtown centers are built around business, transportation, and housing.
But we need more shining examples.
Transit oriented and connected communities can create a better future for our state and drive our prosperity and enjoyment with less traffic, more housing people can afford and better air quality. We want to provide the tools our communities need to make this happen.
This year, I’m excited about a proposal in my budget that will help local governments build housing infrastructure in more transit-oriented neighborhoods by addressing construction hurdles like access to water; aging sewer and stormwater systems; and by increasing opportunities for walking, biking, busing and all forms of transportation.
It’s a start, but we need a well-rounded approach – and that includes goals for housing that every community can work toward in their own way.
These goals must consider jobs, zoning capacity, transit areas, housing density, and factors like regional equity, infrastructure capacity, and water.
We also need transit-oriented housing policy that incentivizes communities to meet meaningful goals, provides accountability, and rewards jurisdictions for going above and beyond.
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Part of a healthy life means a healthy environment, and here in Colorado we are an example to the nation on how to protect the natural world around us and combat the impact of climate change.
We are already on track to exceed our goal of 80% clean electricity by 2030 – just six years from now. We have one of the most ambitious strategies in the country to reduce local air pollution from the oil, gas, and transportation industries, including achieving electric vehicle sales that are six times higher than when I took office. And we look forward to working with the legislature to advance my budget request to further improve air quality, utilizing recommendations from Environmental Justice advocates.
My administration has delivered on more than 95% of the actions outlined in our first Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction roadmap, and will soon be releasing our second Roadmap with more than 40 new actions. We now have federal funding to achieve these goals even faster thanks to the work of the United States Congress and President Biden.
Now we need to cut red tape that is holding back local investments and unprecedented federal resources in renewable and clean energy, including building transmission lines more quickly, renewable energy development, and storing carbon dioxide pollution underground. We will be supporting legislation, led by President Fenberg and Senator Hansen, to expedite these critical projects.
Hand in hand with our climate work is our leadership on conserving our wildlife and wild places. We will continue to take bold action to protect our cherished public lands and Colorado is finally factoring in variables that have long been neglected, like tracking the rate of year-to-year biodiversity loss, improving soil health, and focusing on ecosystem resiliency in the face of an ever-changing climate.
We are strengthening native biodiversity and restoring balance to our ecosystems by bringing back native species like the Canada Lynx, the Black-Footed Ferret, and as of mid-December, we successfully met the voter mandated deadline for reintroduction of Gray Wolves.
The federal infrastructure law is especially important to Connecticut, given our aging transportation system. Now, commuter rail will be 25 minutes faster from New Haven into Grand Central and Penn Station. Bridgeport will be as close to New York City as Stamford is today by rail.
Each new rail bridge can save two to three minutes per ride, as trains will no longer have to slow down to travel over 100-year-old bridges. Count how many bridges you cross on your commute and figure out how much time you saved.
Our transportation fund is replenished so Connecticut can better compete for the competitive grants. We’re punching above our weight class, thanks to Garrett Eucalitto.
Our workforce program is partnering with the building trades to make sure that quality workers are ready to go.
The more housing built around these transportation centers, the more frequent the rail service.
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We are preserving open space – over 11,000 acres preserved in the last five years alone.
Katie Dykes and the team at DEEP are supporting hundreds of miles of bike and hiking trails across Connecticut, connecting our downtowns to our great outdoors.
But you better check the weather. Our state and our country are being hit by more severe and more unpredictable weather than ever before.
Last summer, the Connecticut River Valley required extra irrigation due to severe drought, and one week later the crops were under water following torrential down pours.
The cost of dealing with climate change is expensive, the cost of doing nothing is immeasurable. Flood insurance in Florida is prohibitive. Arizona’s water crisis is shutting down more development. Wildfires from California to Canada are smoking out many a sunny day in Connecticut.
We must continue working together to keep our energy system reliable, affordable, and less toxic. Most of our energy supply is carbon free, thanks in large part to nuclear power, but we have also doubled down on wind and solar and hydropower.
Thanks to our energy efficiency efforts, our demand for electricity has not increased much this century, and thanks to Bryan Garcia and the Green Bank we are able to make your home more efficient, more energy self-sufficient, saving you hundreds a of dollars per year and not adding a whit to air pollution.
However, from super computers and data centers to hybrid and electric vehicles, we know that modern technology will slowly put more demands upon the grid. I am working with my neighboring governors as we source the next generation of clean energy with an emphasis upon affordability. I would welcome insights from the energy and environment committees as we weigh our options.
As we look toward the future, we can’t ignore the threat of climate change.
Delaware is the lowest-lying state in the country.
Drive through some of our coastal and back-bay communities and you’ll see it for yourself.
It’s clear we’re already feeling the effects of sea rise.
That’s why we’re spending more than $30 million to harden our coastal infrastructure.
Projects like the one to raise South Bowers Road to make sure residents can get in and out of town during storms. That’s pretty important.
And I want to thank Secretary Majeski and Secretary Garvin for their leadership in this area.
Last year, many of you were instrumental in passing the most significant climate change legislation in our state’s history.
House Bill 99 set ambitious – but achievable targets. We committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.
And achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. This is critical for future generations.
I want to recognize Senator Hansen, Representative Heffernan, and Representative Phillips for their hard work and leadership on this issue.
We have a General Assembly full of leaders who understand the threat of climate change.
And who have the political will to take action.
Thank you for your leadership.
The transition to clean energy won’t be easy.
At times, it will be controversial.
In December, DNREC finalized regulations to reduce transportation emissions in our state – a big source of carbon and other air pollution.
By 2032, the regulations require that 82 percent of vehicles delivered to Delaware be zero emission vehicles.
That will help us reach our targets under House Bill 99. And we’re following industry trends across the country.
Major automakers are already committed to moving toward electric vehicles.
Our efforts will also make sure Delaware isn’t left behind in this transition.
The threat of climate change is also why we’re taking a fresh look at Delaware’s role in the offshore wind industry.
In December, we began negotiations with offshore wind developer US Wind to bring significant benefits to our state.
And to take an active leadership role in offshore wind development.
Under terms of the agreement, US Wind would bring wind energy into Delaware.
We expect the agreement to bring more than $100 million in benefits to our state without raising rates.
Those benefits include funding for workforce development.
For dredging projects and for projects to mitigate the effects of climate change in our State Parks.
Over the next several months, I hope you’ll join me in taking another big step forward.
We are pursuing legislation that will make Delaware more of an active player in offshore wind.
It will allow us to directly purchase wind-generated renewable energy.
And to explore partnerships with states in our region. And Senator Hansen – I know this is a big priority of yours.
We look forward to working together on this very important issue.
UOG’s School of Engineering, the Margaret Perez Hattori-Uchima School of Health Nursing Annex, and the Water and Environmental Research Institute are expected to be completed in 2025…allowing us to produce more home-grown engineers, more nurses, and local environmental experts.
As caretakers of our islands, we are committed to pursuing climate change strategies that are equitable and culturally responsive.
Hawaiʻi must continue to invest in sustainable, renewable energy and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
That is why I joined the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of 25 governors securing America’s net-zero future by advancing state-led, high-impact climate action.
We must do more to protect our beaches, parks, and other natural treasures from extreme weather fueled by climate change — without raising taxes or fees on Hawaiʻi residents.
The responsibility to protect Hawaiʻi’s unique natural environment should extend to visitors to our islands.
A Climate Impact Fee on visitors would provide the needed resources to protect our environment and increase awareness of the impacts of climate change.
This legislative session, I will renew our efforts to pass a climate impact fee to help us stare down the terrible impacts of climate change.
Last year, this proposal stalled in committee — but imagine how helpful that program would have been to address the disaster on Maui.
We need to do better this year.
Today, I am proposing a $25 fee on visitors when they arrive and check into a hotel or short-term rental.
This modest fee — far less than the resort fees or other taxes visitors have paid for years — will generate more than $68 million every year from visitors.
We would invest these funds in beach preservation, fire breaks, and other prevention measures to help us avoid tragedies like the one last year in Maui.
I believe this is not too much to ask of visitors to our islands.
I am open to other proposals that would achieve the same goals, including an increase in the transient accommodation tax — but we must do something now.
Hawaiʻi’s natural resources — our beaches, forests, and waterfalls — are an essential part of our culture and our way of life.
A Climate Impact Fee would help us protect them.
In the Midwest, we are now the number one state for workforce development. Across all fifty states, we are number two for infrastructure. Number two for education. Number three for power grid reliability. We have the number one and number two best business schools in the country. Since 2018, we moved up a whopping thirteen spots in CNBC’s Best States for Business.
Like other states feeling the brunt of extreme weather events, Maine is not safe from climate change. We know more storms will come.
And make no mistake about it, it is climate change that is causing storms to be more frequent, more intense, and more devastating.
The ocean is warming. The sea is rising. The winds are wilder. We no longer know the storms and winters of yesterday.
Because when we burn fossil fuels — like gasoline, oil, and natural gas — we expel harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Those gases envelop our planet, trap heat and moisture, that melts ancient glaciers, raises sea levels, and increases global temperatures.
Scientists know this. Meteorologists know this. Farmers, fishermen, and foresters know this. Sportsmen know this. Our kids know this.
We all know this now.
We will address climate change in the long-term by investing in clean energy; by weatherizing homes and businesses; by expanding our state’s network of EV chargers; and by advancing cleaner and more efficient technologies, like heat pumps – while also creating good-paying green collar jobs.
And informed by the work of the Maine Climate Council — scientists, citizens, business leaders, and state and local officials — we lead the nation in many of these respects. In fact, we have exceeded our original goal for installing heat pumps, and we’ve set a new, more ambitious one. And as a result of our clean energy initiatives, we are seeing significant capital investments that are creating new jobs and new businesses.
We have the fastest growing clean energy economy in New England.
We must, and we will, continue to address climate change in the long-term, for the health of our people, the health of our environment, and the health of our economy.
But we must also take immediate steps — right now — to make our towns, homes and businesses more resilient to climate change and these awful storms.
Thankfully, we have laid the groundwork for how we do that.
In 2021, with the support of the Maine Climate Council, we organized the Community Resilience Partnership, which helps communities plan for the impacts of climate change.
One hundred and seventy-five cities, towns and Tribal governments have taken part in this voluntary program — and the program has awarded more than six million dollars to them.
One of those communities is Rockland, a city that was hard hit by the recent storms.
Recognizing that its waterfront piers and seawall are deteriorating and in need of repairs, Rockland has used these resiliency funds not only to plan for the rebuild of the pier and seawall, but to make long desired improvements to public spaces.
Having this plan gives Rockland a clear path forward to obtain other available funds to protect and strengthen its downtown waterfront.
This is important work. Cities and towns across Maine are on the front lines of climate change, and these recent storms underscore the importance of fortifying them in the long-term.
Tonight, I am proposing to add $5 million to our Community Resilience Partnership to allow another 100 cities, towns, and Tribal governments to identify vulnerabilities to extreme weather events and be ready for the next storm, the next flood, the next washouts, the next threats to our bridges, piers and homes.
Let’s give them the tools to continue this desperately needed work.
And let’s turn those plans into real action.
In 2021, we created the Maine Infrastructure Adaptation Fund that provides grants to municipalities, Tribal governments, and others to improve infrastructure that is vulnerable to flooding, rising sea levels, and other extreme weather events — exactly the type of upgrades that will help communities better withstand the type of storms we are now seeing.
For example, in Kennebunkport, the town is using a grant to raise the road that leads to Bickford Island and the utilities beneath it and improve stormwater runoff, in order to mitigate the impacts of flooding, prevent road closures, and reduce disruption for commercial fishermen and the need for costly repairs.
In Winslow, they are replacing stormwater structures with larger ones that will handle more water, to reduce the risk of flooding and property damage.
These are commonsense projects that will strengthen our resiliency in the long run.
Tonight, I propose we bolster this Infrastructure Fund with $50 million from our record high “Rainy Day Fund”, to allow Maine communities to build and rebuild infrastructure — roads, culverts, working waterfronts, storm water systems — that will be tough enough to withstand the impacts of climate change. Essentially, I propose taking from the Rainy Day Fund to respond to some pretty rainy days we’ve had and some rainy days ahead.
At the same time, we will seek every available federal dollar for disaster assistance and resiliency, but the sooner we pass the supplemental budget, the sooner we can get state funds to contractors and fishermen and towns to get things up and running once again before the height of fishing season.
As we recover and rebuild from past storms and as we prepare for those to come, so too will we recover and repair from those shocking events that have threatened our personal security, our community safety, and our very character as a state.
We positioned Maryland to meet our climate goals and lead in the cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay.
We got together, and we got big stuff done.
These aren’t just OUR wins. They’re Maryland’s wins.
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We’ve built these priorities by listening to the people who sent us here: Our constituents.
Last year, we went to your districts with you.
We toured an electric vehicle plant in Hagerstown, and we sat down with students in Glen Burnie
to talk about gun violence.
We drove tractors with farmers on the Eastern Shore, and we grieved together in Washington
County after the tragic and unconscionable killing of Judge Andrew Wilkinson.
In our first year, we traveled with you to all twenty-four jurisdictions in Maryland.
We listened to the people – together.
Our State Plan is not a reflection of OUR aspirations – it’s a reflection of THEIRS.
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…We worked to accelerate the clean energy transition in every part of our state.
I’m grateful for President Biden, our federal delegation, and all of the state, local, and municipal
leaders who’ve been fighting for these projects since Day One.
Together, we proved that Maryland can win the moment;
And together, we will build on our progress.
We will invest in industries of the future – with funding for life sciences, biotech, data centers,
and cyber.
We will cut red tape so Maryland is the friendliest state in the nation to start a business.
We will make reforms to the procurement process so the State of Maryland can be a true partner
to entrepreneurs.
And we will engage in a robust debate on how Maryland funds transportation projects across the
state.
We need to make it easier for people to travel from where they live to where opportunity lies.
But the State of Maryland has funded transportation in the same way for a decade. And that
needs to change.
We saw hundreds of acres destroyed by flooding – the reality of climate change today.
In Western and Central Massachusetts, I stood with families who were staring down the total loss of their crops, just before the harvest. They kept working hard, as they always do. And our state rallied around them.
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We worked, every day, to be a state where everyone can be safe and thrive.
That means:
Turning climate change into opportunity: with the nation’s first cabinet-level climate chief; and the first Green Bank dedicated to building healthy, affordable housing.
We set high goals for our first year in office. I stood here one year ago and made promises. And because we came together, and we acted with urgency, we delivered results. We met every one of our goals.
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The budget I file next week will be balanced, responsible – and forward-looking. It will build on our progress, and we will take new steps:
To lower the cost of housing and childcare;
Strengthen our schools and help all young people reach their potential;
Get our roads and rails moving;
Help businesses and workers thrive;
And meet the climate challenge by creating clean energy careers across our state.
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We’re going to go out and win another world-changing industry.
We will make Massachusetts the climate innovation lab for the world. We’ll help Climate Tech companies not only start, but scale in Massachusetts – creating good jobs in the Climate Corridor we are building across our state.
You can see it coming to life. Look at Commonwealth Fusion – a clean-energy innovator started at MIT, now with 500 employees in Devens. Or Sublime Systems, a Somerville startup bringing low-carbon building materials – and 70 manufacturing jobs to Holyoke, with state partnership.
Our Climate Tech initiative will catalyze this growth into global leadership that benefits Massachusetts workers and communities.
Already, we are leading the clean energy revolution. As of this month, Vineyard Wind – right off the coast of New Bedford – is sending power to the grid, on its way to being the biggest offshore wind farm in North America.
We can land scallops and we can land megawatts as well.
And we’re aiming our sights high.
This spring we’ll review proposals for new wind power that could equal up to 25% of our energy needs.
And we’ll develop a workforce plan – because the heroes of this revolution will be the electricians, builders, HVAC installers, and more. We’re going to work closely with organized labor; industry; vocational schools and community colleges.
For example, this year, we’ll fund no-cost HVAC training at schools across the state. They’ll train more than 400 students in the first year, to install and maintain heat pumps that help decarbonize our buildings.
Clean energy will power not only our homes and cars – it will power opportunity and equity for workers in every part of this state.
The truth is our cities and towns are deeply impacted by climate change already. We saw it in the floods last summer – and this week. So many communities dealt with serious damage.
In August I stood in the kitchen of a restaurant in North Andover, with an owner who had just watched years of hard work destroyed.
A month later, I met a homeowner in North Attleboro whose house took on six feet of water in 20 minutes – and was condemned while we were there. This was on a street that had never even seen flooding before.
This is what it looks like when old infrastructure meets today’s storms.
We have to protect our homes and businesses – for the long term, and right now. Our communities need help, and they deserve a better response.
So we are going to increase funding to help cities and towns shore up riverbanks, fix failing dams and drainage systems, and plan for the future.
And tonight, we are proposing a permanent Disaster Relief Resiliency Fund.
I want to thank Senator Jo Comerford and Rep. Natalie Blais, who championed this idea.
Severe weather isn’t going away anytime soon. Let’s future-proof our communities and be ready when help is needed.
Finally, to protect every breath you take and our Great Lakes, we enacted a historic clean energy package. Together, we:
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This year, we will continue our work to lower costs on the biggest items in your budget. So, let’s get into it.
A few weeks ago, I rolled out the Michigan Vehicle Rebate, a plan to lower the cost of buying a new car with a$1,000 rebate off any car and $2,000 for electric vehicles. If it was assembled by a union, you get an extra$500bucks—that’s up to $2,500 off. The MI Vehicle Rebate would be offered at the point of sale—so you save money as you walk out of the dealership.
Michigan’s auto industry has been the backbone of our economy for a century, powered by the men and women of the UAW, who negotiated and ratified a record contract last year. We want our auto workers and our auto industry to thrive right here in Michigan.
Let’s help them both do what they do best—make the world’s best cars and trucks. With the MI Vehicle Rebate we can lower costs and support the ongoing transition to an all-electric, union-made future.
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We’re showing the world that we make a lot more than just cars. In the decades ahead, we will dominate the manufacturing of batteries, chips, and clean energy too.
We’ve invested hundreds of millions to bring competitive, high-paying jobs to Minnesota and expand our economy with an eye towards the green energy jobs of the future…
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We’ve struck a blow against climate change by putting Minnesota on a pathway to 100 percent clean energy by the year 2040.
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Our plan invests in making sure every family has clean water to drink. We want to invest in grants and low-interest loans to replace lead pipes and remove so-called “forever chemicals” from our drinking water.
We have doubled the number of apprenticeship programs in New Jersey. In fields like the life sciences, adult-use cannabis, home health care, and renewable energy.
These programs are equipping our workers with the tools they need to outcompete anyone.
And they are helping everyone — from displaced workers to recent graduates — find their ticket to a good-paying career.
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One of the hallmarks of our administration has been planting a flag in the industries of tomorrow.
Just look at where New Jersey stands when it comes to one of the most promising — and important — sectors of all: renewable energy.
We have set one of the most ambitious clean energy goals in the entire country.
And it is a goal we remain firmly committed to: 100% clean energy by 2035.
This is not just about doing what is right for our planet. This is also about creating a generation of good-paying jobs in the industries that will — literally — power our future, like offshore wind and solar.
And clean energy is just one example of how we are reclaiming our state’s legendary legacy in innovation… to create economic opportunities for all.
…We are ensuring that our young people inherit a state with the splendor and abundant resources we have been privileged to enjoy. Our Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund is enriching conservation programs in counties and tribal communities statewide – preserving the state’s natural beauty. Our tax credits and clean car rules are strengthening our position as a clean energy state. We have cut pollution from the oil and gas industry in half compared to our neighbors in Texas, and our methane rules were recently adopted by the federal government as the standard for smart regulation. We are demonstrating that a healthy environment and a strong economy are not in conflict, offering a new model – the New Mexico model – for states like ours across the country.
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Last August, we celebrated the state’s largest manufacturing deal ever, when Maxeon Solar Technologies chose New Mexico to reshore the first solar cell plant in the United States – a billion-dollar enterprise that comes with nearly 2,000 jobs.
The message is clear, and we are hearing it again and again from companies worldwide: New Mexico is where businesses want to be.
Now, let’s capitalize on this momentum. Around the globe, access to water is the great challenge of the century. Let’s turn it into an opportunity. Imagine the potential of turning the ocean of brackish water beneath our feet into water we can put to use. To meet the demands of communities now and in the future, to sustain our economic growth, and to meet this moment with a first-of-its-kind solution, the Strategic Water Supply will build a secure, resilient water future for our state. I am asking the Legislature for $500 million in Severance Tax Bonds to make this Strategic Water Supply a reality – spurring the private sector to turn an untapped resource into water that we can use without asking taxpayers to front the cost.
I’m also proposing that we dedicate two percent of our severance tax permanent fund – that’s $170 million dollars – to catapult forward the advanced energy sources of the future – hydrogen, geothermal, next-generation battery storage – further committing our state to the climate goals of the country.
And that’s not all: I’m announcing a commitment to pursue an advanced manufacturing tax credit, a companion to the groundbreaking Inflation Reduction Act, to make New Mexico even more competitive in reshoring global companies that will solidify a clean technology supply chain right here at home.
Delivering on the promise of a clean energy future requires modern, efficient infrastructure, from a resilient power grid to safe roads to reliable drinking water. Between federal and state funding, we’re putting more than $7 billion dollars in infrastructure funds to work right now in every county in the state.
Just recently, we broke ground on the SunZia Transmission Line, the largest renewable energy project in United States history, that will deliver green New Mexico electrons across the southwest – with an economic impact of $20.5 billion dollars.
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And still, there’s more we can do. That’s why I am asking the legislature for $100 million dollars to support an infrastructure matching fund, so communities don’t leave any federal money on the table for lack of a local match. And it’s why I’m asking for $55 million dollars to continue expanding a widespread charging infrastructure network for electric vehicles. Charging an electric car or truck in New Mexico should be as easy and convenient as pumping gas. Whether you’re going from Deming to Clayton; from Farmington to Carlsbad; from Las Cruces to Las Vegas; or taking the High Road from Santa Fe to Taos, residents and tourists alike should be able to get from one end of the state to the other no matter what vehicle they drive.
I am proud to announce that Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado will lead a newly created Office of Service and Civic Engagement.
He and his team will connect talented New Yorkers who want to give back especially young people to service opportunities across the state.
And this is just the start of our comprehensive agenda for New York in 2024. We’ll protect the environment by planting 25 million trees fund resiliency efforts expand solar power access and help our State meet our bold emissions targets.
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Today, I’ve told you how we’ll build that bridge in 2024. We’re enacting a vision of New York where veterans embark upon incredible careers, fighting the climate crisis with green energy and offshore wind. Where unions are strong and our infrastructure is resilient, able to withstand hundred-year storms.
You’ll see in my budget a new direct investment in our innovation economy.
One that helps our start-ups grow, supports the dreams of our entrepreneurs and inventors, and gives them the resources they need to go after the next big discovery and then commercialize it, right here in Pennsylvania.
These sites and our investments in innovation are key to growing our economy, rebuilding our communities, and combatting climate change.
I know there are bills to pass and work to do to combat climate change, but one of the most important things we can do right now is invest in our clean energy economy and the jobs it supports.
My economic development plan will do that – and it will help businesses succeed here in Pennsylvania.
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Nearly one million Pennsylvanians rely on public transit every single day.
Major employers count on trains, buses, and trolleys to get their employees to and from the office.
And our seniors depend on shared ride services for 2.1 million trips a year – especially in rural communities.
Public transit provides freedom and opportunity.
It makes us competitive and helps us sell our Commonwealth to others.
From the companies I talked about earlier, to the organizers and fans of the FIFA World Cup and the MLB All Star game coming here in 2026…
They all want clean, safe, on-time public transit.
That’s what Pennsylvanians deserve.
It’s what our economy needs.
And that’s why I am proposing the first major new investment in public transit in more than a decade.
Under my plan, transit systems across Pennsylvania will receive 1.5 billion dollars over the next five years.
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…I want to help more farmers upgrade their equipment and take advantage of the latest technology through our Ag Innovation funding.
There’s real innovation happening all across our Commonwealth, especially on our farms.
Over the summer, I visited the Reinford dairy farm in Juniata County and met Brett Reinford and his beautiful family – he joins us here today.
He showed me their methane digester that turns waste into electricity, not just for their farm but for the neighborhood nearby.
Brett is helping our environment and his business.
That’s the ingenuity of Pennsylvania farmers at work.
The Commonwealth invested in that digester, and we need to do more of that on our farms across Pennsylvania.
Además, con el programa Apoyo Energético ya 764 PyMEs tienen sistemas solares con baterías, y este mismo mes arrancamos con la segunda fase del programa para impactar a 800 PyMEs más.
Esto está ayudando a nuestros pequeños comerciantes a reducir sus costos de energía y a ser resilientes. Como Jackeline Rodríguez Maysonet de Little Friends Daycare que se dedica a cuidar niños y niñas en Dorado. ¡Gracias Jackeline por todo lo que haces!
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De otra parte, la transformación de nuestro sistema energético es una de mis más altas prioridades, pues nos afecta a todas y todos y es clave para nuestro desarrollo económico. Para la reconstrucción del sistema eléctrico que está en curso tenemos 169 proyectos en etapa de construcción con una inversión de sobre $900 millones, y 37 proyectos de gran escala ya están en proceso avanzado de diseño con una inversión de $1,350 millones adicionales. Esto incluye el reemplazo de subestaciones, líneas de transmisión y distribución, postes y luminaria pública, control de vegetación, así como reparaciones en nuestras plantas de generación, lo que gradualmente está fortaleciendo nuestro sistema.
Además, hemos apoyado la instalación de sistemas solares individuales, y ya son 110 mil los conectados a nuestra red eléctrica. Ese número seguirá creciendo gracias a nuestros programas de vales para energía solar y baterías, al igual que los del Departamento de Energía federal. Hemos encaminado fincas solares, microrredes, y una planta de gas natural convertible a hidrógeno, logramos la compra de los generadores de emergencia, y seguimos trabajando para tener un sistema eléctrico eficiente y resiliente.
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Nuestra política pública energética impactará positivamente nuestro ambiente, y seguimos trabajando para proteger nuestros recursos naturales, reclutando nuevos vigilantes y teniendo mano dura en contra de violaciones de leyes y reglamentos, con logros importantes en casos como el de la Bahía de Jobos en Salinas. También estamos restaurando las Salinas de Cabo Rojo, promoviendo proyectos de corales naturales y artificiales, de demolición de estructuras abandonadas en las costas, acuerdos para la reforestación de cuencas hidrográficas, y la reconstrucción de las 13 casas bombas del Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales.
With the first working offshore wind farm in the United States, we know that Rhode Island is an industry leader. But we’re not stopping there – our second offshore wind project, Revolution Wind, is set to commence construction this year.
When construction is complete, Revolution Wind will power nearly 263,000 households at a rate of 9.8 cents per kilowatt for 20 years. This is an important step toward meeting our Act on Climate goals.
In order to get our offshore wind projects completed, we need the people doing the work.
A few of our offshore wind workers are here tonight and I want to thank them: Nicole Kent of IBEW Local 99, Nicholas Russo of Laborers Local 271 and Jennifer O’Dwyer of Ironworkers Local 37. I want to recognize them and everyone who is helping us continue our progress on offshore wind. Thank you all for being on Team Rhode Island. Let’s give them a round of applause.
But we’re not just building the infrastructure, we’re also training the workers at the state’s first offshore wind safety training center at the CCRI Flanagan Campus in Lincoln under the leadership of Interim President Dr. Rosemary Costigan. We want these jobs in Rhode Island to help raise per capita income.
Now, I know these aren’t the only challenges we face, and there are many others, like addiction, healthcare costs, and climate change mitigation, where we need to – and will – continue our work.
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We’ve already laid the foundation – literally in many cases – to help revitalize communities across the state. With $1 billion from ARPA, we’ve invested in over 500 initiatives in 160 towns and cities in all 14 counties. From big capital projects to small renovations, what they all have in common is an investment in the basic tools a community needs to keep from falling behind and spark momentum for more good work.
So following through on each of our federally funded investments, including what we’ve allocated for state match, is one of the most important actions we can take this session.
We are also aligning this work with flood recovery, and the new federal dollars that come with it, to help more places restore their vitality and expand economic security.
Catastrophe into opportunity.
We will not relent to our greatest challenges. We will not go backward. This is the Evergreen State and the Ever Forward State.
And we’re going ever forward on our evergreen agenda. Climate change is our present, but climate collapse does not have to be inevitable. This Legislature put us on a clear – and necessary – path to slash greenhouse gases 95% by 2050.
We will stay the course.
Any delay would be a betrayal of our children’s future.
We are on the razor’s edge between promise and peril.
We know this when historic floods gut homes that stood for generations, or when wildfires force the evacuation of entire towns like Medical Lake last year.
And the need for climate action is felt daily for Washingtonians living with pollution.
There are neighborhoods today in Washington where people are dying two and a half years younger on average because of pollution.
This pollution is harmful to the lives of Washingtonians in communities like Everett, Wenatchee, Mattawa, Spokane, the Tri-Cities, the Yakima Valley, Shoreline, South King County, and Tacoma. There are neighborhoods in these communities where people are forced to live sicker and die younger because of this pollution.
We have made a solemn oath to our children, and their children, and in that noble mission we will neither flag nor fail. We will go on to give them the grandest of blessings, a healthy Washington, instead of taking rank with defeatists who live in the grey twilight of pessimism.
Thanks to this Legislature’s budget priorities, we can help more people like Elisa Garcia, a farmworker in Toppenish. Her home was one of 32 in Yakima County that had rooftop solar installed, thanks to a state program specifically geared toward farmworkers.
Her home now produces 100% of its energy from her own roof. Her family’s energy bills are zero and it would not have been possible without this Legislature.
Elisa and her daughter, Jasmin, are here with us today.
Thank you, both.
You’re going to hear many more stories this year and beyond about how our climate policies are making life better for Washington families.
The Climate Commitment Act is letting us invest in work that reduces pollution and creates good-paying jobs. It’s funding electric school buses, 8 million free transit rides for youth and counting, filtration systems in schools so students can breathe when there’s wildfire smoke outside, and public chargers for electric vehicles. This is money going right back to Washington families. It’s not going off to Houston or other oil hubs with the oil industry’s record $200 billion in profits in 2022.
Now we have more we can give back to our communities.
I’m proposing a $200 utility bill credit for one out of every three households in Washington – that’s nearly 2 million low- and moderate-income Washingtonians. We will help thousands more families install energy-efficient heat pumps that cut emissions and energy bills. This law also makes it easier to invest in our infrastructure, including hybrid-electric ferries, and safer bike and pedestrian routes.
From sustainable aviation fuels and EV battery manufacturing in Moses Lake to electric buses in Ferndale, we’re attracting and creating thousands of good-paying jobs in clean energy and clean technology. And as fossil fuel jobs go away, we’re training those workers – the folks who worked at places like TransAlta – for jobs in this new clean energy economy. These jobs are coming on quickly. The new Pacific Northwest federal hydrogen hub will create 8,000 jobs alone for the production and distribution of green hydrogen to reduce pollution.
Here’s something else about the fossil fuel industry. For decades, we’ve been subjected to the rollercoaster of gas prices.
We’re going to do something about price transparency in Washington this session. I understand why people are frustrated about gas prices. The oil and gas industry’s books are closed to the public. It’s time for transparency and accountability.
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We’re already investing in cleaner, more efficient ferries – and I’ve directed State Ferries to look for ways to expedite boat construction. But we also must do everything possible to increase staffing and build new boats faster.
We’ve pursued some of the most transformative policies in the nation in my time in office. For example, I’m proud the leaders of our state are under no illusion that social justice issues were settled 60 years ago with the Civil Rights Act.
We will continue advancing social justice. We have made equity a part of everything we do in state government with environmental justice policies like the HEAL Act and a new agency, the Office of Equity, which makes equity a part of everything we do in state government.
We must sustain our progress against racism’s pernicious influence on the past and present. The work for a more perfect union continues.
Conserving and protecting our natural resources and land continues to be a top priority for my administration. I’m also excited to announce tonight I’m approving the largest forest conservation effort in state history. In partnership with the Biden Administration and the Conservation Fund, we’ve approved the conservation easement for the Pelican River Forest’s remaining acres to protect the forest for generations of future Wisconsinites to use and enjoy. This is a big deal, folks.
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Today, a Wisconsinite tuning in from their TV at home is using electricity that is 100 percent solar-powered and carbon-free because we’ve approved enough solar projects across our state—4,000 megawatts’ worth—to power more than 750,000 Wisconsin homes with average electricity usage for 365 days straight.
Launched on June 1, 2017 by the governors of Washington, New York, and California to help fill the void left by the previous administration’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, the Alliance has grown to include 24 governors from across the U.S. representing approximately 60% of the U.S. economy and 55% of the U.S. population. Governors in the Alliance have pledged to collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025, at least 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030, and collectively achieve overall net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as practicable, and no later than 2050.
The Alliance’s states and territories continue to demonstrate that climate action goes hand-in-hand with economic growth, job creation, and better public health. While reducing emissions by 18% between 2005 and 2021, Alliance members grew their collective GDP by nearly 30%. The coalition’s states and territories are employing more workers in the clean energy sector, achieving lower levels of dangerous air pollutants, and preparing more effectively for climate impacts and executing more pre-disaster planning than the rest of the country.
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