New York Governor Cuomo announces $10 million New York climate progress program to support technologies that lower carbon emissions

Economic Recovery Initiative Supports Startups Advancing Climate Technology Including Clean and Energy-Efficient Solutions.

Supports Governor Cuomo’s Nation-Leading Climate and Clean Energy Goals Under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the $10 million New York Climate Progress Program to bolster the state’s clean energy economy. The Program will provide capital investments to support startups that create low-carbon goods and services, allowing them to continue to scale decarbonization products in market. This announcement supports Governor Cuomo’s nation-leading climate and clean energy agenda, including the mandate for an 85 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, as outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

“A greener future is a brighter one, and New York is leading the way forward on protecting our environment while creating new jobs and bolstering our economy,” Governor Cuomo said. “The New York Climate Progress Program will help us support innovative startups that are generating new economic activity with clean, low-carbon products and services. The technologies created by these companies can help us fight climate change and support New Yorkers’ livelihoods as we work to make communities across the state more resilient.”

The $10 million Climate Progress program is open to early-stage startup firms focusing on climate technology that has raised less than $25 million in private capital, have less than $10 million in annual revenue, and have fewer than 50 employees–with at least one employee in New York State. Applicants must have a product in the market that aligns with the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and must demonstrate one of the following:

• New York State-based supply chain partners, vendors, investors or service providers in the state;
• New York State-based research, development, manufacturing or sales operations; or
• A current or future market of customers within New York State.

Doreen M. Harris, Acting President, and CEO, NYSERDA, said, “This funding will be a catalyst for some of the most talented innovators seeking to bring climate and clean energy products to New York State that will help to realize Governor Cuomo’s vision for economy-wide carbon neutrality. It will enable these innovative companies to reach commercial milestones that are necessary to successfully advance low carbon products, raise more capital, and scale solutions for all New Yorkers to utilize as we shrink our collective carbon footprint and increase resiliency across the state.”

Applications are due January 6, 2021, and up to $500,000 in funding are available per project. NY Green Bank will work in collaboration with NYSERDA’s Technology to the Market team to service the funds issued under this program. Applications can be submitted here.

Climate technology companies scale innovation to support decarbonization by applying hardware, software, technology-enabled services, data analytics, and/or novel processes to broadly reduce energy consumption, increase resource efficiency, and/or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Funding the next generation of climate technology companies through this program will stimulate local economies, create jobs and advance clean energy products as part of New York’s growing green economy.

Senator Todd Kaminsky said, “Today’s announcement reaffirms that New York has made a commitment to be on the ground floor of a burgeoning, clean energy economy, and I commend Governor Cuomo for his sustained support and leadership. Our businesses are developing some of the leading innovations in the field and our residents are reaping the benefits. Support from this program will go a long way toward energizing their groundbreaking efforts.”

Assembly Member Steve Englebright said, “This exciting new initiative will help create clean New York State jobs for a carbon-free future. As we act to reduce Greenhouse gas emissions, we must also work to ensure that New York State residents will have access to good-paying jobs and markets in the future green economy.”

New York prioritizes investments in research, development, and commercialization to support startups accelerating the climate technologies needed to meet the state’s climate and clean energy goals. NYSERDA’s Technology to Market team funds six incubators statewide, entrepreneurial support, manufacturing scale-up training, and accelerators and provides direct funding opportunities for early-stage innovation firms. Through this program, the State has invested more than $28 million since 2009, supporting nearly 280 companies and generating more than 1,138 jobs. More than $670 million in private investments and $200 million in project finance capital have been created while helping bring more than 440 new and improved clean energy products to market, including LED lighting systems, home appliances, longer-lasting batteries, and more efficient heating-and-cooling systems.

New York State’s Nation-Leading Climate Plan
Governor Cuomo’s nation-leading climate agenda is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy as New York State recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on a path to achieving its mandated goal of a zero-emissions electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy-wide carbon neutrality. It builds on New York’s unprecedented ramp-up of clean energy including a $3.9 billion investment in 67 large-scale renewable projects across the state, the creation of more than 150,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector, a commitment to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035, and 1,800 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011. Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York will build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while working towards a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments going to disadvantaged communities and advancing progress towards the state’s 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 TBtus.