Decarbonize CUNY!

On Friday, March 7th, over 50 PSC members led by the EJWG joined thousands of fellow academic unionists and scientists from across New York City at Washington Square Park for a “Stand Up for Science” protest. The event was part of a nationwide mobilization against the federal government’s aggressive attacks on public research funding, which included hundreds of other local events and a major rally on the national mall in Washington DC. We demanded an end to the attacks on our essential research, defended science and all academia as an indispensable public good, and called for the political mobilization of researchers and other academic workers. PSC President James Davis closed out the speaker program, which included Nobel Laureates, elected officials, and young scientist-activists, with a rousing call for solidarity.

PSC EJWG Co-Chair Nancy Romer Addresses the Rally (Credit Michael Paulson)

In November 2024, the EJWG helped lead a Public Power NY coalition-wide rally and day of testimony at John Jay College in Manhattan. We joined hundreds of other New Yorkers in demanding a New York Power Authority (NYPA) plan that meets our obligations under the CLCPA and the BPRA, and meets the moment of urgent need in the city, state, and country. We rallied for 15GW of public renewables, instead of the measly 3.5GW in the NYPA draft plan, and we rallied for CUNY to be a prime site of decarbonization, both through the shutdown of toxic peaker plants that poison our communities, and through the siting of new public renewable projects on our campuses. The sizable PSC turnout and participation in the day’s events was made possible by our “Decarbonize CUNY” town hall series over the course of the fall, also a collaboration with Public Power NY.

Read more about the rally, see photos, and watch videos here.

Quotes in support

“At CUNY, we know firsthand what outdated infrastructure looks like. We see it in our classrooms, labs, workspaces, and elevators. And CUNY’s crumbling facilities are inseparable from the climate crisis! CUNY buildings are some of the least energy-efficient in New York City,” said PSC President James Davis. “The disinvestment that is short-changing our members is also short-changing future generations. We need to decarbonize CUNY – both by updating and improving our facilities, and by transforming the energy system on which they rely.” 

Ashley Dawson addresses the Grad Center Town Hall on September 5th, along with Assembly Member Robert Carroll, PPNY’s Michael Paulson, and EJWG organzier Nic Nicoludis (PSC-CUNY)

“We are the people’s university. And we have public power here, we get our power from NYPA. But we need to push NYPA to forge forward, and that’s what this meeting is about…. We’re never going to get the politicians to shut down all of that toxic infrastructure and to stop making sacrifice zones, unless we win the struggle for public, democratic power and a just transition. And I think we here [at CUNY] are incredibly fortunate to be at the forefront of that, really at the center of that struggle in this country,” said Ashley Dawson distinguished professor of English at the CUNY Graduate Center and the founder of of the Climate Action Lab at CUNY

“If we’re going to meet our goals, we need public ownership of clean energy, and the Build Public Renewables Act is a great start. And CUNY campuses are so big, they can be a home for that!,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander. “We want CUNY to be a place for solar farms, and for other forms of renewable energy that you can only do with a big footprint. You’ve got a partner in the New York City Comptroller’s office; let’s do everything we can to decarbonize CUNY, to decarbonize NYC, and to build the green future that we all deserve.”

“The New York Power Authority has to, by law, put out a document this January that says what it’s going to do to help New York [reach net zero emissions]…. The fact of the matter is, the BPRA, the law of the state of New York, now says NYPA has to act. And NYPA has the ability to act. They have a AA bond rating, they can go to the capital markets and get funding, because of the Inflation Reduction Act they can receive federal dollars as well, and they are tax-exempt. They are better positioned to go off and build wind and solar projects than basically any other entity in the country,” said Assembly Member Robert Carroll.

“CUNY is a world class educational system that lifts up working class New Yorkers. But for too long, it has been forced to carry out its essential mission in crumbling, polluting facilities. With federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and new state policy tools like the Build Public Renewables Act, we have the opportunity to create the dignified, sustainable CUNY that our communities deserve. We must seize it. I’m proud to join the Professional Staff Congress and Public Power NY in their push to Decarbonize CUNY,” said Assembly Member Emily Gallagher. 

“Our twin goals of decarbonizing CUNY buildings and ensuring that NYPA builds renewable energy are linked, as both institutions have set laudable goals but are not putting in the money and effort that it will take to make them come true. Our students, faculty, staff, and neighbors deserve clean air and non-polluting CUNY buildings and the Build Public Renewables Act allows New York State to outcompete fossil fuel power plants, but it will take all of our voices to make sure that our appointed and elected officials follow through on these commitments!”, said Hunter College High School science teacher Ross Pinkerton.

If you are interested in joining the EJWG, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]