The EDA advocates a transition to a decentralized energy system in which individuals and communities have access to real decision-making power and ownership over our energy production. The environmental catastrophes we face, the economic crises in our communities, and the racial injustice that permeates our society are all exacerbated by our current energy system. Nearly all our electricity generators and power lines are owned by multinational corporations with accountability to no one but their shareholders. We believe that while New York’s Public Service Commission (PSC) provides a regulatory check on some of that power, corporations must not continue to exercise an outsized influence in our political and regulatory systems.

Our work to promote energy democracy is designed to move the state toward a better system, one in which residents have the right and the authority to determine their own energy future, to protect our most vulnerable populations, and to prevent the wholesale destruction of our precious ecosystems. Putting ownership and control over the means of sustainable energy production into the hands of everyday people, into the hands of municipalities, and into the hands of local businesses should be a top priority for New York’s regulators.

New York’s REV process provides an important first step to bring this vision to life, and we invite you to join us in the fight for energy democracy in New York State and beyond.