QUESTION
What is the impact of budget cuts on DCAS' energy conservation projects?
0:22:04
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161 sec
Energy conservation projects in DCAS' capital plan face a $585 million cut and a $295 million stretch but still maintain a $3 billion budget for ongoing and planned projects.
- A total of $585 million is cut, and $295 million is stretched out of the immediate funding, affecting the timeline but not the feasibility of energy conservation projects.
- The funding stretch pushes some projects beyond the current 5-year plan, hinting at delays in project implementation.
- Despite these financial shifts, the department's $3 billion budget ensures ongoing and planned decarbonization projects are not canceled.
- The cuts and stretches do not hinder the department from meeting the 2030 decarbonization mandates, though they do impact the initiation of new projects.
Lincoln Restler
0:22:04
Could you just tell us that number again for the record on that cut?
Jaclyn Jacobs
0:22:07
Yes.
0:22:08
So there was a $295,000,000
Lincoln Restler
0:22:12
cut.
0:22:13
And last year, I believe, The commissioner testified that the energy conservation and green energy projects was about $524,000,000.
0:22:23
Could you tell us after this $294,000,000 cut, what is the current funding for energy conservation projects in the broadcast capital plan?
Dawn M. Pinnock
0:22:31
I'll have our Chief Carbonization Officer, Sanna Bowercott, to answer that question.
Lincoln Restler
0:22:35
Thank you.
0:22:36
Nice to see you again.
Sana Barakat
0:22:38
Good morning.
0:22:41
So I just wanted to clarify.
0:22:43
So we do have a cut and we do have stretchers.
0:22:46
The cut is, you know, 585,000,000.
0:22:49
The stretches were $295,000,000.
0:22:53
And the good news is that the cuts and the structures are not affecting our ability to cancel any of the ongoing projects are the ones that we have planned.
0:23:09
So we would still be able to, you know, complete the projects that we
Lincoln Restler
0:23:13
just have on this one.
0:23:14
$585,000,000 cut Is that right?
0:23:17
And a $295,000,000 stretch.
0:23:19
Did I get that right?
Sana Barakat
0:23:22
Stretch meaning that the the funding that we had were
Lincoln Restler
0:23:25
pushed 4 years.
Sana Barakat
0:23:26
We were pushed after fiscal year 28.
Lincoln Restler
0:23:28
It was pushed out of the 5 year capital plan as what it means.
0:23:32
So it's in the 10 year plan, but not in the 5 year plan.
Lynn C. Schulman
0:23:34
That's
Lincoln Restler
0:23:34
right.
0:23:34
And so it's so far in the future that maybe Mayor Adams will be around maybe It's rather than immediate projects that we know will decarbonize our buildings.
Sana Barakat
0:23:43
Yes.
0:23:43
I mean, we still have 3,000,000,000 in budget.
0:23:47
It's a hefty budget, and we do have the expense account that we did not we didn't get any pegs on.
0:23:53
So we're trying to balance the 2 do as many project as possible with the budgets that we have.
0:24:01
Again, it doesn't affect our meeting the mandates, the 20 30 mandates, it just affects the implementation or initiation of new projects.
Lincoln Restler
0:24:14
I believe that the kind of theory of the case in providing decast with this large pot of money for decarbonization to be dispersed for the most was for Decast to be able to disperse funds to the projects that are most effective across city agencies to help us decarbonize our public sector buildings.
0:24:34
Like, how is this working?
0:24:36
Do I'm considering the extent of the cuts that mayor Adams and OMB have imposed on Decasse's energy conservation plans and projects.