On March 25, 2011, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed Assembly Bill A.261, which requires the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to submit an annual report detailing energy efficiency portfolio standard and approving programs, into law. Assemblyman Hevesi and Senator Maziarz have worked to get this legislation approved for years and applaud Governor Cuomo for making this a top priority. This is the fifth piece of legislation the governor has signed into law this year.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority appropriates grant funding to recipients in New York State to achieve energy efficiency savings through capital improvements or other energy saving measures. In our current climate of economic uncertainty, New York State cannot afford to spend money on projects that fail to meet their objectives; in this case, reduction in energy consumption. The report delivered through this legislation will allow policy makers to evaluate the effectiveness of these grants, and if necessary, to make adjustments to the process of awarding these funds.

“This bill promotes transparency in government by requiring accountability for how our taxpayer dollars are spent,” Hevesi said. “It is important that New York State continues to invest in and promote energy efficient technologies, but, in light of the fiscal state New York is in, it is crucially important that every dollar collected from the taxpayer be spent responsibly. The reports generated by this legislation will allow us to take a hard look at how this money is being spent.”