Addressing Environmental
Justice
Addressing Environmental
Justice
Overview
CECONY and O&R are privileged to serve some of the most diverse communities in the world. We understand the importance of serving the greater good and considering the potential environmental impacts of our activities and investments on all customers.
Download ReportOur Commitment
Our commitment to environmental justice (EJ) is reflected in our Clean Energy Commitment and Policy Statement on Environmental Justice, and our employees demonstrated purposeful efforts to better engage with the communities we serve. In 2022, CECONY and O&R established an internal EJ Working Group and Executive Steering Committee to develop educational resources and a roadmap for embedding an equity lens into our work. The Companies are working towards increasing partnerships with disadvantaged communities, which are communities that may bear disproportionate burdens of adverse health effects, environmental pollution, impacts of climate change, or that comprise of high-concentrations of low- and moderate- income households. The EJ Working Group consists of members from various organizations across CECONY and O&R, including engineering, operations, customer service, legal, regulatory, and support organizations. In addition, the Steering Committee members are executives from across the companies. The executive sponsor of the EJ Working Group reports annually to the Board of Directors about the Companies’ progress in addressing environmental justice concerns.
The Companies are developing initiatives to better integrate the consideration of impacts on disadvantaged communities in planning and operational activities so as to engage these communities, understand their needs and concerns, and to help steer clear of operations that may disproportionately burden them. In addition, the Companies are supporting EJ-adjacent efforts, such as initiatives related to the Clean Energy Commitment, the philanthropic grants administered by the Strategic Partnerships section of Corporate Affairs, and Talent Management’s workforce development programs designed to provide opportunities for residents of disadvantaged communities.
Volunteers on Governer's Island.
Case Study - Reliable Clean City
In 2023, we completed our first Reliable Clean City project in Queens. As the region transitions away from fossil fuels, our customers’ need for electricity will grow. The first-generation of Reliable Clean City projects represent an investment of approximately $800 million in electric infrastructure, enabling the retirement of some of the City’s less efficient, higher-polluting “peaker” power generation plants, located in the area, and helping to connect our customers to more efficient, cleaner energy generation, including renewable sources like hydroelectric dams, solar energy plants, and wind farms. These projects directly support disadvantaged communities that may have been impacted by criteria pollutants due to infrastructure, such as peaker plants, which this project helps to retire.
In Queens, we upgraded electric substations in Corona and Long Island City and connected them through a six-mile underground transmission line. The new transmission line helps connect customers to 300 MW of additional energy capacity. Throughout the project, we prioritized community involvement, developed multilingual education campaigns and garnered the support of many local elected officials. Thanks to these efforts, the project was completed on time and under-budget, showing that when our communities are onboard, major infrastructure improvements can be delivered even faster.
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