Staten Island – Today Governor Cuomo delivered part three of his annual State of the State address, which was dedicated entirely to unveiling his clean energy priorities for the coming year. In the first part of his address on Monday, the Governor indicated that transitioning to clean energy is among his top priorities and in today’s speech he detailed specific plans for the first steps towards completing this ambitious and necessary transition.

Assemblyman Michael J. Cusick (D-Staten Island) who is Chairman of the Assembly Energy Committee will play a crucial part in the rollout of the state’s ambitious energy goals. No ambitious plan is without its challenges and the Chairman is committed to working with the Governor and his colleagues in the State Assembly and the State Senate to identify and address those challenges to make these plans a reality. Addressing issues of energy grid cybersecurity, renewable energy production siting, energy storage capacity, and long-distance transmission, to name a few, will be the top priorities for Chairman Cusick in the coming legislative session.

With the legislative session taking shape, Assemblyman Cusick has said “As we return to Albany one of this year’s top priorities is embracing the opportunities created by transitioning our state’s energy system to clean and renewable energy technologies. As we begin our economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, the transition to renewable energy will create jobs and economic opportunities across the entire state now and for years to come. Vigorously pursuing this transition will put New York State in a position to become the nation’s leader in renewable energy production, renewable energy technology exports, and energy independence.”

The Assemblyman also noted the importance of renewable energy for Staten Island in the future, saying, “Staten Island is uniquely positioned to benefit in the long run from a statewide pursuit of renewable energy. As an island and as the least densely populated borough of the state’s largest city, Staten Island possesses many geographic advantages for a variety of potential clean energy manufacturing projects. Staten Island has the opportunity to enjoy the many benefits of these projects including job creation and economic development for years to come.”