Gov. Kathy Hochul Announces Major Rebates For New Yorkers To Save Money On Their Energy Bills

4 months ago

On Thursday, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) spoke about energy rebates for New Yorkers.

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Transcript

00:00 individuals needing career ladder employment in construction.

00:05 We're so pleased to welcome so many distinguished representatives here today.

00:10 And I would like to thank all of them for being here today, as well as for

00:17 the many public servants, leaders, and

00:20 representatives of the community that we've been meeting throughout the day.

00:23 We're proud of the support we receive from NYSERDA, the New York State Department of Labor,

00:29 New York State Office of Strategic Workforce Development.

00:31 And it's this investment from the government which allows us to provide best in class construction service

00:37 to over 200 individuals a year in energy efficiency and clean technology.

00:42 Today I welcome you on behalf of the board of directors of ACI, our board chair,

00:46 Stefan Andrius, our founder, John Cofalas, as well as the leading construction, restoration,

00:52 scaffolding, and management companies with whom we co-locate, with whom we couldn't have put on this presentation for

00:58 you here today with their wonderful cooperation.

01:01 We all look forward to the announcements and the discussion.

01:04 And I'm pleased to introduce your next speaker, Jocelyn Henao-Estrella,

01:09 who's the executive director of the Neighborhood Housing Services of Queens.

01:13 Thank you.

01:13 >> Thank you, David.

01:21 Good afternoon.

01:22 Buenas tardes.

01:24 My name is Jocelyn Henao-Estrella, and I'm the executive director of the tiny but

01:28 mighty Neighborhood Housing Services of Queens CDC, and I'm a proud New York Latina.

01:35 For 30 years-

01:36 >> For 30 years, NHS of Queens have worked to improve the housing conditions

01:46 of underserved neighborhoods here in Queens, including helping with home upgrades and

01:53 utility bills.

01:55 We are incredibly grateful for Governor Holcomb, NYSERDA, and

02:00 the federal government's support of the work that we do.

02:05 Their collaboration in our communities is vital to ensure that every neighborhood,

02:11 every family can thrive in the face of change.

02:16 Together, we are on a journey toward a cleaner and more resilient future for all of our communities.

02:24 Today, I am so pleased to be here to celebrate an important milestone in that journey.

02:32 To tell you more, it is my honor to introduce someone who has fought and

02:38 is a true champion for a clean energy transition that leaves no one behind.

02:45 Let us give a round of applause to Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm.

02:50 >> Jocelyne, thank you so much, my goodness.

03:04 So, I appreciate Jocelyne, thank you for your leadership and

03:11 everything that you are doing here in Queens to make sure that nobody is left behind.

03:15 And that we consider neighborhoods and we consider people in those neighborhoods,

03:21 but particularly those who may not have the resources to be able to pay their energy bills,

03:27 which is what we're talking about today.

03:29 It is great to be here at Andromeda Community Initiative,

03:33 a phenomenal organization that is building the workforce of the future here.

03:38 Also, I have to acknowledge, obviously, Governor Hochul, who's been such a great champion.

03:44 >> And we'll get to her in a minute.

03:49 Leader Schumer is going to be joining us shortly, I know.

03:54 Senior advisor to the President, John Podesta, who has been working all of this behind the scenes.

04:02 Doreen Harris of NYSERDA, who is doing a great work at working in communities.

04:07 And I have to acknowledge my team who are here in force,

04:12 our Undersecretary for Infrastructure, David Crane, and the whole team at DOE,

04:19 our state and community energy programs who have been working on this.

04:24 The partnership with states to be able to do these rebates.

04:28 And I say these partnerships with states is so very,

04:32 very critical cuz this is where the action happens, states and communities, right?

04:37 So, I am, along with John Podesta,

04:41 we are really proud to be here representing the President of the United States.

04:45 President Biden.

04:46 >> [APPLAUSE] >> Can I just say,

04:51 there's a lot of talk about the economy and all of that.

04:55 15 million jobs created, more than any president at any time in the history of

04:59 the United States, all of that, all of these factories that are popping up

05:02 across America, all of that's true.

05:05 But the President is really obsessed with lowering costs for people.

05:10 He is really obsessed with people's pocketbooks.

05:13 And so he's trying to figure out every possible way the federal government

05:17 can lower costs for people.

05:19 Maybe it's student loans, relieving student loan debt.

05:22 Maybe it is giving first time homeowners the ability to get a down payment on a home.

05:27 Maybe it's reducing the cost of prescription drugs.

05:31 Maybe it's these junk fees.

05:32 You've heard all these things.

05:34 Today we're talking about energy bills and

05:37 making sure that people have the ability to afford living in their homes.

05:42 And so last month, just as an example, one in three households

05:48 said that they had to forego a basic necessity like food or

05:53 medicine in order to pay their energy bills.

05:55 We know that making homes efficient, right, is critical to reducing those energy costs.

06:01 Often viewed, energy efficiency is often viewed as the first fuel,

06:06 the fuel that is the cheapest and most abundant,

06:09 because you don't have to pay for that energy at all if you don't use it.

06:13 And over the past few decades, because of a lot of the work that's being done at

06:16 the Department of Energy and our national laboratories, a lot of the technologies

06:20 that reduce energy use are now available and on the market and being deployed, which is terrific.

06:28 We've got more energy efficient appliances.

06:31 We've got stoves that are energy efficient.

06:33 We've got water boilers.

06:35 We've got heat pump technology.

06:37 We've got broader upgrades that we are funding from insulation of buildings,

06:45 better windows, better ventilation, electric panels, all of that.

06:50 But you know, the kicker is that it often tends to be wealthier families

06:56 who can afford these products, and good for the wealthy.

06:59 But, poorer families need them and

07:04 should have access to these technologies because they need them more.

07:08 And I say that because when a furnace or an air conditioner breaks down, for example,

07:14 poor people, if they can find the money to come up front to replace it at all, right?

07:21 Often, they will understandably find the cheapest alternative.

07:25 And the cheapest alternative might be the least efficient alternative.

07:31 And so they end up putting those appliances in a home, and

07:36 often it's the poor whose homes are the leakiest, the least efficient overall,

07:41 in terms of not having the proper insulation.

07:45 And so you perpetuate a cycle.

07:47 If you don't make sure that people have the tools and the know-how to seal up their

07:52 homes so that they can lower their energy bills.

07:57 Now some states, like New York, have been leading the way on this, which is bravo to you.

08:04 >> But now, you have a federal effort on the scale that's

08:09 needed to make these technologies available to all Americans.

08:16 President Biden came in, he said we have got to lower energy bills for people.

08:21 And he signed this legislation in partnership with Senator Schumer and his leadership.

08:26 $9 billion bill that allows for

08:30 states to partner with the federal government to lower people's energy bills.

08:35 And the Biden administration's agenda here has three parts.

08:38 The first part is that all taxpayers, no matter what your income level,

08:44 you can qualify for credits, tax credits, on energy efficient appliances and upgrades.

08:50 And there he is, the man of the hour.

08:52 >> Senator Schumer.

08:54 >> So, thanks to the Senator's shaping of this bill,

09:02 this first part having tax credits available for everybody, you can get about a 30% tax break.

09:08 If you install energy efficient technology in your home, and

09:13 of course then you save on your energy bills every day after.

09:17 The second part of the agenda is that we took steps to help the lowest income Americans weatherize their homes.

09:23 So the bipartisan infrastructure law, one of these key bills,

09:27 delivered a tenfold increase on weatherization funding, our weatherization assistance program.

09:34 So New York, for example, got an increase of about $300 million to be able to weatherize poor people's homes.

09:43 And the third, today's big news, which is to truly lay the groundwork for home efficiency across America.

09:50 We need the states and the territories and the tribes in the game to help residents save money.

09:56 So that $9 billion will mean that each state now has

10:02 the ability to offer low and moderate income homes

10:06 up to $14,000 on home energy rebates for these appliances.

10:13 >> $14,000.

10:18 And that's off the top at the front end, right?

10:21 And then you save on your bills approximately 30% every month after that.

10:26 So it's a win-win.

10:28 So today, big announcement is that as of today,

10:32 New York is the first in the nation to launch its home energy

10:38 rebates program in partnership with the federal government.

10:42 >> So New Yorkers out there, if you are interested,

10:51 you should call 1-866-NYSERDA,

10:56 NYSERDA, to find out if you're eligible and to make sure you get on the list.

11:02 Because you can have that $14,000 applied to the installation of a heat pump, for example.

11:09 Or the installation of insulation or the electrical upgrades that are necessary to make it happen.

11:17 Our team will be visiting a home after this press conference that NYSERDA,

11:22 through their Empower Plus program, has already done the upgrades for.

11:27 And in that home, because they replaced a boiler and an oil tank with a heat pump,

11:32 that homeowner is going to save $190 a month on their energy bill.

11:39 $190 a month.

11:42 I mean, that's a lot of money for folks, right?

11:44 >> 2,280 bucks a year, that is huge.

11:50 And that's the kind of thing we want to be able to deliver to people and

11:55 to make sure that they can sleep at night.

11:57 Hotline 866-NYSERDA.

12:00 So there are more savings to come.

12:03 New York is, this is the first step of New York's expansion of their already great program.

12:09 And there'll be a second step that will expand it even further, again, with a partnership with the federal government.

12:16 If you are out there nationally, and you're wondering if your state is doing what New York is doing,

12:21 you can go to energy.gov/save and find out where your state is.

12:27 In the process of getting these rebates going.

12:31 We want every state to participate, every state to follow New York's lead, and

12:36 every state to make sure that citizens have the ability to sleep at night,

12:40 to be free of worry, to not have to choose between food or energy.

12:46 And to make sure that their home is one that is buttoned down, safe, and affordable for their families.

12:54 So, with that, I want to introduce to you the leader in New York who is making this happen.

13:01 Because it is NYSERDA who is making this happen, but she is such a warrior on clean energy.

13:07 She is a warrior on energy efficiency.

13:10 Please give it up for your governor, Governor Hochul.

13:13 >> Thank you.

13:23 It's that female governor connection.

13:31 Love her.

13:33 What a dynamo.

13:35 I followed Secretary Granholm's career when she was the first woman governor of Michigan.

13:41 Really paving the way for others to follow.

13:45 And I admire your tenacity and the contributions that you are making to the Biden administration.

13:52 I've seen you all over this country.

13:54 And we're so proud that you brought this together and really deeply cared.

13:59 Just like you cared about the citizens of your home state.

14:02 You're taking that caring about people in their lives and how we can make life easier for them.

14:07 Lift the burden from our families.

14:09 And you're doing that nationally on behalf of our president.

14:12 Ladies and gentlemen, let's give another round of applause to our great secretary.

14:15 [APPLAUSE]

14:20 And the man who delivers for New York.

14:24 And I want to give a special round of applause to the majority leader, our senator Chuck Schumer, for all he does.

14:30 [APPLAUSE]

14:33 Sometimes known as the postman because he delivers every single day on time.

14:38 Well, sometimes he's not on time, but that's okay.

14:41 Mostly on time.

14:45 And John Podesta, a legacy of public service which is extraordinary.

14:51 In all the areas that our president has trusted you to help solve national and international problems.

14:58 It is an honor to have you here with us.

15:00 One of the top advisors, President Biden, John Podesta.

15:03 [APPLAUSE]

15:07 The rock star of the moment, that is our very own Doreen Harris and her team at NYSERDA.

15:12 Thank you.

15:16 Making sure we're always number one.

15:19 Number two just doesn't work for New York.

15:22 So thank you, thank you.

15:24 I so love working with her and her team, with the whole team at NYSERDA.

15:28 We also have some elected officials here.

15:31 Borough president, our borough president Donovan Richards.

15:34 Where are you, borough president? There he is.

15:38 Julie Wan, our council member. Julie, stand up.

15:43 And our friends here at Andromeda and Joyce Lynn and David.

15:47 Thank you for hosting us and all the great contributions you're making to give people the opportunity and the dignity of a good paying job.

15:55 That's what it's all about.

15:57 So thank you, thank you.

15:59 You know, a step back, I was thinking that two weeks ago I stood in the Vatican.

16:04 Yes, asking for the Pope to pray for New York.

16:07 He said he would.

16:08 But also, leaders from around the world were asked to convene and talk about what we're doing in our respective countries and our states about global climate change.

16:19 What we're doing to transition into an energy, clean energy future.

16:23 And I called for New York at that moment to rededicate itself to a bold climate agenda.

16:29 And take the steps necessary to try and cool our warming planet because we are feeling the effects every single day.

16:38 And we're taking a beating because of this.

16:41 I also said we have to honor our moral responsibility to heal the earth.

16:48 And to make sure that those who bear the brunt of climate crisis, who are often the poorest among us, that we can do whatever we can to help lift that burden.

17:00 So I am so proud to stand with our Secretary on behalf of the Biden administration to announce we're making real progress, real progress.

17:08 Something that's tangible.

17:10 It's not out there talking about someday we're going to affect climate change.

17:14 We're going to affect people's ability to adjust, adapt, and lower their energy bills.

17:20 We're going to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

17:22 It safeguards the health of our residents.

17:25 But most of all, which is so important to me, how to lift up our lower income families.

17:31 My parents used to live in a trailer park.

17:34 Their parents had nothing.

17:36 I am so blessed to have the advantages I had that came from an education.

17:40 But so many others just don't know where to turn anymore.

17:44 And they dread the summertime when the air conditioning bills are so high, if they even have an air conditioner.

17:49 And many do not.

17:51 They say that one of the greatest causes of death from climate change are people dying from the heat in the summertime.

17:59 How tragic is that?

18:01 That, my friends, is entirely preventable.

18:04 No one, no one should be subjected to that pain, themselves or their families.

18:10 So, again, I'm really proud that we're setting the standard, the model for the rest of the nation.

18:17 And that's what we do.

18:19 That's what New York does.

18:21 We always chart that way forward.

18:23 But it doesn't happen just here in the state of New York.

18:26 It happens when you have leadership at the national level.

18:32 It makes all the difference in the world for us here in the states.

18:36 And I want to say something.

18:38 I want everybody to quote this.

18:40 Joe Biden is a history-making president.

18:44 We would not be here today, not be here today, if it wasn't for his administration, his commitment, his climate leadership,

18:52 and his willingness to take on the tough challenges of our time.

18:57 He doesn't shirk them.

18:58 He leans hard into them.

19:00 And the Inflation Reduction Act hasn't just revitalized our nation's economy, brought us back, creating thousands of jobs, that's all good,

19:10 reinvigorating countless industries, bringing us opportunities where we had none.

19:16 It's given us the tools necessary to also focus on a healthier, greener future, not just us, but the generations that follow.

19:27 That's the moral obligation I spoke about in the Vatican.

19:31 We must live up to that responsibility.

19:34 And I also, again, as I want to say, I can't talk about the IRA without thanking Majority Leader Chuck Schumer,

19:43 who is right there, right there, pushing every inch of the way to get this through the Congress.

19:47 I want to thank him for being the partner that our president needs.

19:51 [applause]

19:55 And now, all that money will be able to transform thousands of homes across our state

20:03 and improve the lives of people from Queens, the Queens residents right now,

20:07 all the way up to the Queen City, which is where I'm from, called Buffalo.

20:12 It's a nice place, too.

20:14 But we are the first in the nation to receive part of the $8.8 billion home energy rebate program,

20:24 $8.8 billion.

20:26 That is extraordinary.

20:28 [applause]

20:30 And we're starting off with almost $49 million to help electrify homes, reduce energy costs,

20:37 transition away from fossil fuels, and support our low-income families.

20:43 But that's just the beginning, because we're eligible for $320 million,

20:49 and I'm not leaving a penny on the table.

20:51 [applause]

20:54 Let's bring it all home.

20:56 And the good news for us is we're not starting from scratch.

20:59 This is not, "Oh, let's find out what's happening.

21:01 Let's maybe see if we can become eligible."

21:03 We've been doing this.

21:05 Now, this money is going to take us to where we've wanted to go.

21:08 But we launched the Empower Plus program in January of last year,

21:12 and it's been out there hard, working hard for people, adding insulation in homes,

21:17 upgrading appliances, electric, efficient heating systems.

21:21 We've been doing this with an eye toward those low-income families who say,

21:26 "I just need a break once in a while."

21:29 And they deserve the benefits of clean energy that would not be available for them

21:33 but for this assistance from the state and now the federal government.

21:39 So we're going to be able to expand our reach.

21:41 We're going to continue our efforts working with DOE.

21:43 And what an amazing team you have, Madam Secretary, amazing team, dedicated people.

21:46 Thank you all for dedicating your lives to exactly what we're talking about here today.

21:51 [applause]

21:54 We're going to continue to expand,

21:56 but it's more about, again, just adding these heat pumps and technologies.

22:01 It's more than just helping one individual family.

22:05 It's a vision of a state where we say we leave no one behind.

22:10 Everybody deserves to live in a home that is safe and secure, properly insulated,

22:17 protecting them from the elements, and that's what they're going to get here in New York.

22:23 And poor communities that disproportionately bear the brunt of environmental injustice,

22:31 they should no longer have to bear these extraordinary costs

22:34 as we're transitioning to a whole new world away from fossil fuels.

22:39 So we're going to get it done.

22:42 Investments like this will make a difference,

22:45 and that's why I'm so proud to have this collaboration.

22:48 Again, can I say Joe Biden's name enough?

22:50 Joe Biden made this happen.

22:52 Thank you, President Biden.

22:54 Thank you for thinking about all of us and the people we represent,

22:59 lifting up the voices of low-income Americans and New Yorkers

23:03 and making sure they know that they're heard and they're cared about deeply.

23:07 That's how we get it done.

23:09 And I'm so proud to be part of this announcement

23:11 and look forward to visiting the homes and touching the people and saying,

23:14 yes, this is why leadership matters.

23:17 This is why it matters who's in the White House,

23:21 because you have the power to do something some always could have but they didn't.

23:27 This president is getting the job done for Americans,

23:31 and I could not be prouder to accept this money on behalf of our president and Congress

23:36 and spend every dime right here in the great state of New York.

23:39 Thank you, everybody. Thank you.

23:41 [applause]

23:44 And with that, someone who's bringing home the bacon every single day.

23:49 I'm not sure if he's a mailman or a short-order chef,

23:52 but he's bringing home the bacon and frying it up every single day,

23:55 supporting his beloved home state of New York.

23:58 Let me bring up our Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer.

24:01 [applause]

24:09 Thank you, everybody. It's great to be here.

24:13 And let me thank Andromeda for the great job you do,

24:17 giving people jobs, giving people a future, giving people hope.

24:21 Whoever is part of Andromeda, raise your hands.

24:24 We want to give you a round of applause.

24:27 [applause]

24:30 I want to thank our great governor, Kathy Hochul.

24:33 I do bring a lot of money back to New York. I love it.

24:37 In fact, Senator Moynihan, who was my mentor,

24:40 used to decry the fact that New York always sent more money to Washington than we got back.

24:47 But guess what? In the last two years, for the first time,

24:50 we got more money back than we sent.

24:52 It's good to have the Majority Leader from New York State.

24:56 [applause]

24:59 But when I bring that money back, I want to know it's well spent.

25:03 Just the idea of passing legislation and even having the Treasury write out a check is not good enough.

25:12 You've got to know it's spent well, it's spent carefully,

25:15 and it goes directly to the people who need it the most.

25:19 And I know of no better person to do that, who has done it time and time and time again,

25:25 whether it's energy or transportation or education or health care,

25:30 than our great governor, Kathy Hochul.

25:32 [applause]

25:35 Kathy, they had a good draft. Go Bills.

25:39 We like the Bills. And the Giants. And the Jets. But we like them.

25:43 [laughter]

25:46 I want to thank our wonderful Energy Secretary.

25:50 You know, when you're a senator and you call up an agency,

25:53 you want to know that the person in charge knows the details of the program,

25:58 but also knows how to get the job done.

26:02 And our great, great Secretary Granholm has both.

26:07 Every time I call her, whether it's an issue in upstate New York or in New York City or Long Island,

26:13 dealing with energy and dealing with climate and dealing with all our needs,

26:17 she is always there. So thank you.

26:21 [applause]

26:22 John Podesta, as Kathy said, dedicated his life to government.

26:27 What a great guy. What a great guy. He worked so hard for doing that.

26:33 Our great elected officials, Julie, nice to see you.

26:38 Borough President, best-looking threads in the room.

26:43 Orange and blue, New York colors, Donovans, always knows what to do.

26:48 And I see some of our great labor leaders in the audience. Stand up. We love you.

26:53 I see Murph and I see so many of the labor leaders. Thank you.

26:58 I'm a labor guy. Labor got me elected when I first ran.

27:02 Labor got me elected each time. I'll never forget you.

27:06 So it's a great day. And let me thank people at NYSERDA.

27:10 Let me thank--you know, when I was--I won't even say that.

27:14 You know, one of the things I do have--that's why it's appropriate they invited me here, aside from all the money.

27:19 I've got a lot of energy. And here we are.

27:24 Anyway, don't reduce my energy, whoever is in charge up there.

27:28 But in any case, I want to thank NYSERDA and DOE for the great job and the big news.

27:34 $158 million--this is the big news--for this home energy rebate program,

27:41 bringing down costs for working families.

27:44 If we had to think of three reasons we are here today, it's simple.

27:48 Better climate, more good-paying jobs, lowering costs.

27:56 Climate, jobs, lower costs.

28:00 That's why we're here. So this is sort of--sounds like a program that's complicated, but it's real.

28:05 And it matters to individual folks.

28:08 And that's why we're so glad to be here. I'll elaborate that in a minute.

28:12 But anyway, what we're going to do here--installing air ceilings and insulation and heat pumps and other efficient devices--

28:21 that sounds sort of a little bit abstract, except when you have to remodel your home, it's going to be a lot cheaper.

28:27 But more important, when you get these--when you put these things in your home, every month,

28:33 that damn energy bill, that damn electric bill, that damn gas bill will be lower every month.

28:40 Not just for a month or two months or three months, but year after year after year.

28:46 And that's why it's so great. Right, Murph? I love this guy.

28:52 I knew him when he was Local 1 here in Queens, in Howard Beach.

28:58 But in any case, it's all going to matter to people. And you know, it almost didn't happen.

29:05 Kathy and the Secretary mentioned the Inflation Reduction Act.

29:10 Well, it almost didn't happen.

29:13 As you know, my good friend and colleague from West Virginia, Joe Manchin, said no.

29:20 I said, "Joe, don't say no."

29:24 I won't go into all the details that got him to yes.

29:29 But we insisted on getting it done.

29:32 And we insisted on getting it done because we knew what it would matter.

29:36 It nearly didn't happen.

29:38 Manchin and I were locked in a room down in the basement of the Capitol,

29:43 and we insisted on doing all of these clean energy things as part of our agreement.

29:49 And to his credit, he went along.

29:51 But I have to say this. Without the leadership of President Biden, none of this would have happened.

29:58 He had a vision. You know, he has a lot of experience.

30:02 But that experience isn't just a word out there in the abstract.

30:06 He knows what people need. And then he knows how to get it done.

30:11 No president has had a more successful four years--or three and a half now--years

30:18 getting things done and getting things--and helping get things through the Senate

30:23 and get things through the House and delivering for the American people than this man.

30:27 And it's because he's a hands-on guy.

30:31 He comes from the working class like me, like Kathy, like so many of us.

30:36 He knows what the struggles are.

30:38 But then he has the knowledge and the fortitude and the strength and the experience to get it done.

30:44 And that's an amazing thing. People forget about that.

30:48 When you compare him to the guy before who had infrastructure every week,

30:53 infrastructure month every month and never got it done, it's like night and day.

30:59 People are benefiting. So this is really, really important.

31:03 And that's why, you know, when I was in that little room with Manchin,

31:06 I was thinking of the president and how much he put energy into this bill.

31:11 I was thinking of all the people above all who are going to benefit,

31:14 the millions of people in New York and around the country who are just going to benefit

31:19 month after month after month.

31:21 So as I said, three big benefits.

31:23 One, climate.

31:25 Home energy improvements are a crucial path.

31:28 It seems sort of mundane. It's not.

31:31 It's a crucial path to decarbonization and meeting our climate goals.

31:36 Every individual action, like installing a heat pump, may not seem like much.

31:40 We add them all up together, there's a lot less carbon in the atmosphere.

31:44 Anyone who listens to a weather report knows that, unfortunately,

31:49 global warming is real and climate change is happening.

31:53 No one can deny that anymore.

31:56 Month after month, week after week, day after day, you see all the weather and how it's changing.

32:01 So this really matters. Second, it's jobs.

32:05 This bill will create lots of new, good-paying jobs.

32:09 And here at Andromeda, we're training people to get those jobs.

32:12 And many of the people who will get those jobs,

32:15 [applause]

32:19 it'll be their ladder up into the middle class.

32:22 They'll be able to live good lives.

32:24 They'll be able to assure that their children will have a better life than them.

32:29 They will know that these jobs are not jobs that go away in two years.

32:33 They're permanent. They're going to stay here because they're so needed by the economy.

32:37 And so many of our apprenticeship programs that the unions have done such a good job with

32:42 will be those ladders up.

32:44 We need ladders. We need jobs.

32:46 [applause]

32:50 And finally, as I said, lowering costs.

32:55 Lowering costs.

32:57 I remember my dad. He was an exterminator.

32:59 Never did that well.

33:02 My sister once sent him a Father's Day card that said,

33:04 "Dad, we're the only family that associates the smell of DDT with love."

33:09 Because, you know, he came home reeking of all the chemicals from his day job.

33:14 But I remember him getting those electric bills and saying some words I wasn't supposed to hear.

33:20 I'm sure it's happened in your families.

33:23 They're going to be lower. They're going to be better.

33:26 That's a great thing.

33:28 And that maybe is the most important thing that happened.

33:30 So this is a great day.

33:32 I'm so proud that New York, given the faith that the president and our energy secretary

33:38 have had in our great governor to deliver all of these things in the right way.

33:42 So it's a great day for New York. It's a great day for America.

33:45 And we're going to have many, many, many, many more great days like this.

33:50 So God bless everyone here.

33:52 God bless New York.

33:54 God bless our president.

33:56 And God bless the United States of America.

34:00 Now, you know, there are a lot of unsung heroes in all of this.

34:05 They're the ones who do the--they don't often get up on the stage, once in a while,

34:10 but they do the unsung work.

34:12 They're the unsung quiet heroes of so much of what we've gotten done here

34:17 because they think it through, and they know how to help us craft the legislation

34:22 and then make sure it gets implemented.

34:24 And one of those great unsung heroes who I've known for decades,

34:28 who always cares about people and is always putting people first

34:32 and has done so much to make the lives of millions of Americans better

34:36 is John Podesta, our great advisor to the president on energy.

34:41 [applause]

34:52 Thank you, Leader.

34:54 Boy, it's hard to follow that trio, I tell you.

34:57 But I want to start--

34:59 My staff is always better than me.

35:01 Here's the ladder up.

35:03 There we go.

35:06 Let me start by adding my thanks to Andromeda and to Joyce Lynn.

35:11 Thank you for the work you're doing.

35:13 Thanks to Senator Schumer.

35:15 He's on his way out, so he won't have to hear me say this,

35:18 but he told that little story about being locked in the room with Senator Manchin.

35:24 And I have to tell you, you know, they say in Washington,

35:27 don't watch legislation, it's like watching sausage being made.

35:31 Senator Schumer was so tenacious, he overcame so much frustration,

35:37 he kept at it every day, he knew the details of every single provision,

35:42 and he finally brought a bill back to life that everyone thought was dead.

35:47 So thank you for bringing home a bill that the President proposed

35:54 that is the largest investment in clean energy

35:58 and attacking the threat of climate change,

36:02 not just in the history of the United States, but in the history of the world.

36:06 We set the lead for the world,

36:08 and it was thanks to Senator Schumer that we got that job done.

36:12 So thank you again.

36:14 And to Secretary Granholm, you're the greatest.

36:17 You're leading the charge on clean energy nationally,

36:20 and for DOE's incredible work to get these critical rebrake programs up and going,

36:27 providing the technical and consumer protection resources to the state

36:32 to help work in partnership with NYSERDA and with the governor,

36:38 and Governor Hochul, thank you for everything you're doing.

36:42 Clearly for lowering people's costs,

36:46 but thank you for advancing major offshore wind projects,

36:50 tackling emissions from buildings.

36:52 The work you're doing in the state really is amazing.

36:56 And thank you for being first in the nation.

36:59 [applause]

37:04 We're celebrating New York's leadership on a key piece of the climate puzzle,

37:10 making clean energy affordable and accessible for all Americans.

37:15 President Biden placed clean energy at the center of his Investing in America agenda

37:20 because it tackles the climate crisis,

37:24 but also because, as he likes to say, it's jobs, jobs, jobs,

37:29 and those are union jobs all across the country now.

37:32 We're seeing that happening north, south, east, west, and every place in between.

37:38 We're cleaning up the air.

37:40 We're lifting up communities that have been left out and left behind

37:44 and often bore the brunt of industrial and power plant pollution.

37:49 We're giving families a bit more breathing room, as the president likes to say,

37:54 in their family budgets.

37:56 The Inflation Reduction Act's home energy rebates are an important tool

38:00 to expand that breathing room.

38:02 The rebates for clean and energy-efficient appliances

38:06 and home energy efficiency upgrades will enable more families

38:11 to install these technologies by reducing the upfront cost,

38:15 and they'll save families money by lowering their energy bills every single month.

38:22 For example, families with a heat pump can save $500 a year.

38:27 In total, these rebates will save consumers across America--

38:31 get this--$1 billion annually in reduced costs.

38:37 [applause]

38:39 As the first of several states that will make these game-changing rebates

38:43 available to their residents this summer and fall,

38:47 New York is bolstering its successful Empower Plus program

38:51 to help even more New Yorkers save money on their energy bills.

38:55 These rebates add to the incentives President Biden

38:59 and Vice President Harris have already made available to save money on clean energy.

39:04 The Inflation Reduction Act's consumer tax credits,

39:07 which offer, as the secretary noted, up to 30% off home technologies

39:12 like rooftop solar, battery storage, EV chargers, and insulation,

39:18 are already available.

39:20 Americans took advantage of these expanded tax credits

39:23 for the first time last month on Tax Day.

39:26 I'm going to remind you about Tax Day, but they got to save some money

39:29 if they installed those energy savings technologies.

39:35 Today, Energy Star, which is the gold standard

39:40 in what consumers look to to understand efficiency

39:45 and lots of product lines, is officially launching

39:50 a new improved savings web tool that can help consumers

39:58 interested in purchasing an energy efficiency product for their home.

40:04 It can help them find the incentives.

40:06 They can see where they can stack those between incentives coming from the state,

40:11 coming from the federal government, coming sometimes from utilities.

40:16 You just plug in your zip code, and it will help you guide your choice in that regard.

40:25 You can find that at energystar.gov/homesavings.

40:29 As rebates go live in states across the nation,

40:32 they'll empower more Americans to save themselves some money,

40:37 keep their families warmer in winter, cooler in the summer,

40:40 make their homes safer, more comfortable, more resilient to extreme weather

40:46 that's growing worse as climate change is getting worse.

40:50 Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris,

40:53 we look forward to more Americans making that choice

40:56 for the benefit of both people and the benefit of the planet.

41:02 Governor Hochul, thank you for your leadership.

41:05 Thanks for being first in the nation.

41:07 Congratulations, New York, for leading the way.

41:10 [applause]

Gov. Kathy Hochul Announces Major Rebates For New Yorkers To Save Money On Their Energy Bills

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