Establish a Just Transition Working Group.

The CLCPA instructs the Climate Action Council (CAC) to establish a Just Transition Working Group (JTWG) to provide recommendations to state agencies for the development of statewide environmental justice policies and agency-specific environmental justice plans. The JTWG must be chaired by the Commissioner of Labor and the President of NYSERDA, have between seven and thirteen members, and include the following members:

• The Commissioner of Housing 
• The Commissioner of Urban Renewal 
• The Chair of the Department of Public Service 
• Representatives from environmental justice communities 
• Representatives from clean energy developers 
• tT least five representatives of distinct energy-intensive communities 

A comprehensive list of the JTWG members can be found here.
 

Statutory Language:

CLCPA §2 ECL §75-0103(8): “The council shall convene a just transition working group. The working group shall be chaired by the commissioner of labor and the president of the New York state energy research and development authority and shall consist of no less than thirteen, but no more than seventeen members and shall include the commissioners of housing and community renewal, the chair of the department of public service, representatives of environmental justice communities and representatives of labor organizations, clean energy developers and at least five representatives of distinct energy-intensive industries. The just transition working group shall: a. advise the council on issues and opportunities for workforce development and training related to energy efficiency measures, renewable energy and other clean energy technologies, with specific focus on training and workforce opportunities for disadvantaged communities, and segments of the population that may be underrepresented in the clean energy workforce such as veterans, women and formerly incarcerated persons; b. identify energy-intensive industries and related trades and identify sector specific impacts of the state's current workforce and avenues to maximize the skills and expertise of New York state workers in the new energy economy; c. identify sites of electric generating facilities that may be closed as a result of a transition to a clean energy sector and the issues and opportunities presented by reuse of those sites; d. with respect to potential for greenhouse gas emission limits developed by the department of environmental conservation pursuant to this article, advise the council on the potential impacts of carbon leakage risk on New York state industries and local host communities, including the impact of any potential carbon reduction measures on the competitiveness of New York state business and industry; e. advise the council and conduct stakeholder outreach on any other workforce matters directed by the council; and f. at a time frame determined by the council, prepare and publish  recommendations to the council on how to address: issues and opportunities related to the energy-intensive and trade-exposed entities; workforce development for trade-exposed entities, disadvantaged communities and underrepresented segments of the population; measures to minimize the carbon leakage risk and minimize anti-competitiveness impacts of any potential carbon policies and energy sector mandates; g. The just transition working group is hereby authorized and directed to conduct a study of and report on: i. The number of jobs created to counter climate change, which shall include but not be limited to the energy sector, building sector, transportation sector, and working lands sector; ii. The projection of the inventory of jobs needed and the skills and training required to meet the demand of jobs to counter climate change; and iii. Workforce disruption due to community transitions from a low carbon economy.”