The Buffalo Niagara Manufacturing Alliance (BNMA), and the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier (MAST), today issued a joint statement commending Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed adjustments to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).

As organizations representing New York’s manufacturing sector, the groups support Hochul’s pragmatic approach to address the challenges of implementing the CLCPA and her efforts to better align State policy with the economic realities of enacting the law.

The Governor’s proposals include: extending key compliance deadlines to 2030, modernizing emissions accounting methodologies, and establishing an intermediate 2040 emissions milestones are all steps forward and reflect a necessary recalibration of the state’s climate strategy. These adjustments recognize that the original timelines have proven unrealistic and risk imposing unsustainable costs on residents, businesses, and the broader economy.

Success in implementing New York’s climate goals depends on implementing a strategy that is grounded in economic viability, technological readiness, and workforce capacity.

BNMA and MAST emphasize that New York’s climate roadmap must be built on a foundation that integrates economic development with environmental progress. Key principles include:

— Reconvening the Climate Action Council with meaningful representation from manufacturers and industry experts.

— Prioritizing consumer needs, affordability, and workforce development.

— Advancing climate goals through market-driven, economically sustainable solutions.

— Supporting an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy, including advanced nuclear, natural gas, and hydrogen.

— Treating manufacturers as global climate investors and critical partners in building clean energy supply chains.

The organizations stress that state policy must ensure:

— Affordability for residents and competitiveness for businesses.

— Reliability and resiliency of the energy system.

— Continued use of natural gas as a base fuel for energy production and a bridge fuel toward alternative energy options.

— Strategic supply chain and technology development to support the transition to a cleaner economy.

— Alignment and coordination of funding resources to enable businesses to innovate, invest, and grow.

BNMA and MAST also reaffirm their positions on key policy issues:

— Support for advanced nuclear technology as a critical zero-emission energy source.

— Opposition to the NY Heat Act due to concerns over regulatory overreach and cost impacts.

— Concerns regarding a cap-and-invest program and its disruption to manufacturing competitiveness.

The BNMA and MAST said they look forward to working with Hochul, state leaders, and stakeholders to ensure the CLCPA evolves into a strategy that works for all New Yorkers.