Friday, June 26, 2026, 1 p.m. (New York City time), Committee Room - City Hall
Committee: Committee on Economic Development
The Committee on Economic Development, chaired by Virginia Maloney, held a joint oversight hearing with the Committee on Workforce Development, chaired by Julie Won, on the status of the Green Economy Action Plan released in February 2024. Members questioned NYC Economic Development Corporation and NYC Office of Talent and Development officials on whether the plan remains the administration's strategy given federal funding rollbacks, the 400,000-green-jobs-by-2040 projection, progress on the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal offshore wind hub, Local Law 97 implementation, workforce training targets, and the breakdown of $600 million in youth workforce funding. Administration witnesses said the plan remains a generational commitment but could not provide current job counts, training totals, or funding breakdowns, and repeatedly committed to follow up with data. The hearing concluded with testimony from roughly a dozen workforce, education, and community organizations supporting investment in green job training.
0:30 Can I jump good afternoon
0:30 welcomes today's New York City
0:32 council hearing for the
0:35 committee on economic
0:35 development joint with the
0:38 committee on workforce
0:39 out an appearance car with a
0:44 sergeant at arms movin
0:46 gforward and no one is t
0:47 oapproach the days chair we are
0:53 ready to begin all right good
0:55 afternoon everyone and welcome
0:57 to the joint hearing of the
0:59 committees on economic
1:01 development and workforce
1:03 development today is Friday
1:04 June 26 I'm Virginia Maloney
1:05 and I chair the economic
1:09 development committee joining
1:09 me is Council Member Julie Won
1:11 chair of the committee on
1:14 workforce development.
1:15 Today we are here to ask
1:16 about the state of the green
1:19 economy action plan and if it
1:21 remains the city's strategy t
1:25 ogenerate green jobs the plan
1:25 was drafted together by ed and
1:28 was released in February 2024
1:33 under.
1:33 The last administration it
1:34 identified 130000 jobs that
1:38 exist in the City and set a
1:40 target for creating nearly
1:44 400000 a green jobs by 20 40
1:49 . Since no permanent leader
1:50 has been appointed since the
1:51 nwe're unclear about what the
1:53 progress is if any has been
1:55 made regarding the plan the
1:57 New administration was not
1:58 involved in developing the
2:00 plan and has not stated
2:00 whether or not it intends to
2:04 preserve or advance and
2:06 additionally congress has
2:06 stripped away much of the
2:08 federal funding that the plan
2:09 was built around so given the
2:12 change in circumstances the
2:14 committees want to explor
2:15 ewhether or not the green
2:17 economy action plan remains
2:20 viable and whether or not it
2:21 has the resources necessary t
2:24 oimplement
2:25 . Beginning with jobs the City
2:26 projected 400000 green jobs by
2:29 20 40 and that means we would
2:31 have to create
2:31 . 267000 Green jobs over the
2:36 next 14 years.
2:36 However the center for a
2:37 nurban future found that the
2:39 City added roughly 2000 jobs
2:41 since 20 23 at that rate we
2:43 would not hit the target until
2:46 well into the next century so
2:47 today we want to understand
2:50 how the administratio
2:51 nreconciles these numbers and
2:52 whether or not the goal still
2:55 remainsnd a how it's publicly
2:59 tracking against progress.
3:00 Second we want to dig into
3:00 the off share offshore wind
3:03 project which is the most
3:04 visible component of this plan
3:07 the City made significant
3:08 investments in south brooklyn
3:10 marine terminal to serve a
3:11 sthe assembly hub for empir
3:14 ewinds projecting the creation
3:16 of 13000 jobs across the cit
3:17 yby 20 35 empire wind was
3:20 intended to demonstrate the
3:21 core premise of the green
3:23 economy action plan proving
3:25 that climate investments can
3:27 create good paying local jobs
3:30 but the project faces
3:31 uncertainty with the federal
3:33 government issuing a stop
3:34 order on empire wind in and
3:38 construction has only
3:39 continued because the court
3:42 intervened so the committees
3:42 are seeking the clear answer
3:44 on what the city's oversight
3:46 is at the south brooklyn
3:47 marine terminal and how is
3:49 preparing for the possibility
3:51 that construction there might
3:55 be halted again unfortunately
3:56 the federal government's
3:57 actions undercut much of the
3:58 intentions of the plan last
4:00 summer congress rolled back
4:02 the clean energy tax credits
4:04 that much of this plan relied
4:06 on so when he says certain
4:08 commitments are still on track
4:10 we're thrilled to hear that
4:11 but want to understand a bit
4:12 more about where the funding
4:15 is coming from and lastly
4:16 building carbon ization or
4:17 lowering a building's carbon
4:19 footprint accounts for mor
4:20 ethan half of the green jobs
4:21 that are projected in this
4:23 plan and depends on the
4:25 successful implementation of
4:26 local law in 97 by setting
4:29 carbon emissions for large
4:30 buildings local law 97 creates
4:32 the demand for retro fits and
4:34 the work force needed to
4:36 complete them
4:37 . Meeting the employment
4:38 targets outlining the plant
4:39 assumes that local law 97 is
4:42 being enforced and implemented
4:43 on schedule and we want to
4:45 discuss the progress of those
4:46 buildings retrofits to dat
4:47 ehow many jobs are currently I
4:51 nthe pipeline and how we are
4:52 supporting d carbon across the
4:54 City
4:54 . Before we hear from the
4:55 administration I want to thank
4:57 the committee's staff for
4:59 their hard work starting with
5:01 senior counsel alex pauline
5:03 off senior policy analyst
5:04 william hong yanked and
5:06 financial Ana analyst spencer
5:07 coon and with that I will turn
5:09 to chair juan for her opening
5:12 remarks.
5:12 Thank you so much karen
5:13 Maloney I want to acknowledge
5:13 that we've been joined by a
5:14 Council Member Amanda frias as
5:16 well as Council Member chanel
5:17 Thomas Henry my name is Julie
5:18 Won and I have the privilege
5:19 of chairing committee on
5:22 workforce development char
5:23 Maloney has laid out the
5:23 economic development side o
5:24 fthis plan I want to talk about
5:26 the parts that matter the mos
5:29 tmost to the work themselves
5:30 which is whether the City is
5:31 actually building a path for
5:32 New yorkers into these jobs a
5:35 plan that promises 40000
5:36 0green jobs by 20 40 means very
5:37 little of the people who nee
5:38 dthese jobs cannot get trained
5:42 for them
5:42 . The plan made three major
5:44 workforce promises first a
5:45 green collar training center
5:46 in every single burro second
5:50 for more than 12000 New
5:50 yorkers trained as green jobs
5:53 through apprenticeships and
5:53 pretense apprenticeshi
5:54 pprograms by 20 43 what the
5:57 plan calls of $600 million
6:00 investment in green career
6:02 pathways for young people I
6:02 want to know.
6:03 How many of these promises
6:04 have been kept and the numbers
6:06 behind them broken wndo by
6:09 fiscal year I also want to I
6:11 also want to be precise about
6:12 the $600 million since it
6:14 doesn't come from the green
6:15 economy action plan it's our
6:17 understanding that it comes
6:17 from the City of 20 2
6:19 3pathways to an inclusive
6:22 economy plan and it has spread
6:23 across public schools cooney
6:25 to serve about 250000 young
6:27 people across the entir
6:28 eeconomy not just green jobs so
6:30 how much of that $600 millio
6:32 nactually funds the green
6:34 training and is there any
6:36 green specific money in thi
6:37 splan at all or are we just
6:40 really labeling spending that
6:41 was already happening for
6:45 purposes federal funding is
6:45 another problem the work first
6:48 innovation and opportunity act
6:49 has been reauthorized and the
6:50 federal budget for next year
6:53 would fold workforce program
6:54 suntil a block grant and cut
6:55 more than from existing
7:00 . Programs a lot of the city's
7:01 trainings run on those federa
7:02 ldollars so we want to know ho
7:03 wmuch of the green training is
7:06 in this plan and depend on
7:07 federal dollars that now it's
7:09 at risk and what is the
7:12 administration's
7:12 . Will for prioritizing to
7:13 keep this money if it
7:15 disappears separately the
7:16 mamdani administration just
7:16 launched its own $4.5 million
7:21 green workforce program as a
7:21 pilot with the with the doe
7:25 fund we don't object to th
7:25 epilot but we want to know how
7:26 the pilot is going to be
7:28 impacting the green economy
7:30 action plan because it sends a
7:31 signal when a New
7:33 administration launches it's
7:34 all green jobs program instead
7:35 of funding the adrienne
7:36 already on the books we want
7:37 to know whether the plan I
7:39 sbeing quietly shelved and I
7:39 fnot we want to know
7:41 . Who is making sure that
7:42 work in tandem with each other
7:45 and how are the
7:46 responsibilities or portfolio
7:50 sdivided up what we'll be
7:50 looking for today is evidence
7:52 from New York City talent tha
7:53 tthe New yorkers this plan was
7:55 written for
7:56 . Are actually getting trained
7:57 and hired into good paying
7:58 jobs a stable green jobs.
8:01 Before we turn over to the
8:02 administration I'd like t
8:03 othank and acknowledge the work
8:05 force development committee
8:05 staff senior counsel alice
8:07 pauline off senior policy
8:09 analyst william honeck on
8:10 financial analyst spencer kun
8:13 with that I'll turn over t
8:13 othe committee counsel t
8:14 oadminister to the oath and I
8:15 also want to acknowledge tha
8:16 twe've been joined by a council
8:18 member cab on and council
8:22 member thank you ciara juan
8:23 alex falling off committee
8:24 counsel well members of the
8:25 administration testifying
8:26 today please raise your hands
8:29 . Do you swear or affirm to
8:30 tell the truth the whole truth
8:30 and nothing but the truth in
8:32 your testimony today and t
8:33 orespond honestly to council
8:36 member questions yeah I do
8:37 thank you you begin adrienn
8:42 eready.
8:43 Good afternoon chair Maloney
8:43 and chair juan and members of
8:45 the economic development and
8:46 workforce development
8:47 committee's my name is sam
8:48 young and I serve at th
8:49 esenior vice president of the
8:50 green economy team at the New
8:51 York City economic development
8:53 corporation I'm here today
8:54 with michelle lamberti vice
8:55 president of government and
8:59 community relations I'
9:00 mexcited to share the progres
9:00 swe've made on the green
9:01 economy action plan or jeep
9:02 for short which was release
9:03 din spring of 20 24 I
9:05 npartnership with New York City
9:07 talent at we think in terms of
9:09 decades and generational
9:10 change under Mayor mom and
9:14 deputy Mayor is approaching
9:14 the green economy not only as
9:16 a climate imperative but as a
9:17 pathway to economic justice
9:19 delivering good paying job
9:20 sand expanding opportunity for
9:24 working people New York City
9:25 is surrounded by 520 of water
9:27 and shoreline with the risk of
9:28 writing seawater on her
9:31 doorstep we have seen
9:31 ahurricane leave our City dark
9:32 and under water heavy rain and
9:34 floodingave hdisrupted our
9:37 transportation and
9:38 infrastructure urban wildfires
9:39 have standard skyline red and
9:40 filled our air with ashes and
9:42 extreme mother has driven a
9:43 power bills and insurance
9:44 costs for working people we
9:47 cannot treat climate change is
9:48 something we can put off until
9:49 tomorrow it requires action
9:52 today the korean economy
9:52 action plan provides a rope
9:54 out to tackle these challenges
9:55 and invest in the sectors and
9:56 jobs that will help the City
9:58 combat climate change while
9:59 providing a pathway t
10:00 ostronger communities and
10:03 shared prosperity the
10:04 opportunity ahead significant
10:05 . The jeep projected that the
10:06 green economy could transition
10:08 and create approximately
10:09 400000 jobs by 20 40 jobs
10:11 across construction
10:15 engineering clean energy
10:16 building retrofits advance
10:18 dmanufacturing design
10:18 operations maintenance and
10:19 emerging industries all.
10:20 Right could you put the mike
10:20 closer to your mouth thank you
10:25 . I want to be clear realizing
10:25 the 20 40 projections will
10:28 take take decades 70% of the
10:30 400000 jobs projected or what
10:32 we call transitioning job
10:33 swhich we won't be able to
10:34 track until years down the
10:38 road these jobs do not appear
10:39 automatically or overnight
10:41 they require planning the jeep
10:42 is a projection of the long
10:43 term transformation of our
10:45 economy the result of
10:46 sustained public investment
10:47 from every level of government
10:49 City state and federal as well
10:51 as private investment
10:52 industrial development and
10:55 workforce growth
10:55 . Yet we're continuing to face
10:56 real challenges from federal
10:57 headwinds like the rest of the
10:58 nation job growth is slowing
11:01 and aggressive federal
11:01 rollbacks of key green economy
11:02 policies are having an impac
11:05 tdespite this we take it
11:06 forward looking approach to
11:08 growth development and the
11:11 green economy in the two years
11:12 since its release has been
11:13 focused on meeting key
11:14 commitments from the jeep
11:16 advancing major green
11:17 infrastructure investments and
11:18 activating workforce partners
11:19 across the City to prepare New
11:20 yorkers for the economy of the
11:24 future today I'll use my time
11:24 to share a handful of updates
11:27 on this work
11:27 . New yorkers have always used
11:28 innovation and ingenuity t
11:29 orespond to whatever challenges
11:31 come our way and we have
11:32 flourished because we have
11:33 invested in our people adjust
11:35 an equitable transition to the
11:37 green economy means creating
11:38 accessible career pathways for
11:40 working people at we are
11:42 supercharging our efforts to
11:44 educate train and position New
11:45 yorkers of all backgrounds t
11:45 obenefit from the green economy
11:49 earlier this year we announced
11:50 a $7 million investment into
11:52 communities green worked for
11:54 infrastructure this $7 millio
11:56 ninvestment will ensure
11:56 students graduate into a job
11:57 market with the skills to
11:58 change the world for the
11:59 better get a good paying job
12:01 and cement New York City as a
12:02 leader in climate action in
12:06 July 2025 we awarded $
12:07 3million from a green light
12:09 Inna fund alongside at $1.1
12:12 billion grant from counsel
12:13 member Oswald Feliz to fordham
12:14 university to create the bronx
12:15 green job center.
12:16 The first of its kind
12:18 workforce and entrepreneurship
12:18 hub that will build a
12:20 nequitable green jobs pipelin
12:21 ein the heart of the bronx and
12:25 last joint solar one to cut
12:26 the ribbon on New state of the
12:29 art environmental education
12:30 center in stuyvesant cove.
12:31 Park a decade in the makin
12:33 gthis education center will b
12:35 ea model for future urban
12:37 coastal resiliency while also
12:38 creating an immersive hands on
12:39 environmental learning
12:40 experience for niggers yorkers
12:44 of all ages we are als
12:44 ocreating career path for young
12:45 people through a maritime
12:47 career and aviation awareness
12:48 fair we hosted the seventh
12:49 annual fair this year and
12:50 connected more than 500 high
12:51 school students with india
12:53 experts on potential future
12:55 careers we were makin
12:56 gsignificant investments to
12:58 prepare local workers in New
12:58 yorkers from all backgrounds