EmPower Plus program will improve home heating in NY

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — According to Governor Kathy Hochul, energy prices this winter are 20 to 30 percent more costly compared to 2022. To assist with the high energy costs, Hochul announced “The EmPower Plus” program, which will help low-income families retrofit their homes by adding insulation, upgrading appliances, and switching from fossil fuels to clean, electric heating systems.

Hochul says this program will reach tens of thousands of households within a year. New York will also provide $165 million in relief to more than 800,000 utility customers struggling with high electric bills.

The governor also set her sights on long-term energy goals, including eliminating sales of any new fossil-fuel-powered heating equipment by 2030, and all new construction to be zero-emission, starting in 2025 for small buildings and 2028 for large buildings. Hochul also announced a Cap-and-Invest program to cap greenhouse emissions and invest in the clean energy economy.

“Big emitters will have to purchase permits to sell polluting fuels,” said Hochul. “The dirtier the fuel, the bigger the price tag. We will propose specific changes in the law to allow us to fund universal rebates from Cap-and-Invest revenues, providing more than $1 billion for New York families each year.”