114 elected officials from 39 different counties signed this letter.

We, the undersigned elected leaders, write in support of the excellent renewable energy and efficiency measures you have enacted to date, and urge you to go even further by committing that 50 percent of New York State’s electricity come from renewables by 2025. This would make our state the nation’s leader in clean energy in the electricity sector where New York State already has a number of programs that can help us get to this target and beyond.

Your renewable energy and efficiency measures are showing the bright promise of such investments, including the NY­Sun initiative, the Green Jobs Green NY program, and efficiency improvements. In many of our communities, we have seen considerable interest in community solar and other efforts to move toward renewables, and know that there is still a great deal of potential.

These changes not only pose great opportunities for our communities and economy, they are absolutely necessary, given the imperative to address climate change by transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Science is clear that we must rapidly reduce fossil fuel extraction and consumption, and increase renewable energy development, in order to avoid catastrophic impacts of climate change. Clearly, Superstorm Sandy and Tropical Storms Irene and Lee demonstrate how tragic and costly more extreme weather linked to climate change can be. Some of our communities have already adopted resolutions calling for efforts to address climate change.

We applaud your wise decision to ban high ­volume hydraulic fracturing in New York State, rightfully following the science, which clearly pointed to significant harms to public health, the environment, and community character. We are very grateful for your wisdom on that crucial issue, and believe it presents a landmark opportunity to move toward the renewable energy-­based economy we need.

We believe that committing New York to 50 percent of its electricity generation from renewable energy by 2025 is the next leap forward. Our state already generates 23 percent of its electricity from renewables. Furthermore, this would complement the state’s greenhouse gas reduction targets, ensuring that those targets are not only met, but exceeded. Committing to the target of 50 percent of electricity from renewables by 2025 represents the bold, national leadership that defines New York. We look forward to working with you to move New York State toward renewable energy as quickly as possible in order to improve the environment, help address climate change, and bring new job opportunities and economic development to our State.

Sincerely,

Diane Addesso
Supervisor
Town of Worcester

Louis W. Allstadt
Trustee
Village of Cooperstown

Francena Amparo
Legislator
Dutchess County

Kathie Arnold*
Legislator
Cortland County

Don Barber
Supervisor
Town of Caroline

Bonnie Bennett
Mayor
Village of Aurora

Dave Bliss
Supervisor
Town of Middlefield

Rebecca Brenner
Councilmember
Town of Danby

Doug Bullock
Legislator
Albany County

Will Burbank
Legislator
Tompkins County

Carl Chipman
Supervisor
Town of Rochester

Carol Chock
Legislator
Tompkins County

Frank Coccho
Councilmember
City of Corning

John Codman III
Trustee
Village of Ossining

Leslie Connors
Councilmember
Town of Danby

Robert Daraio
Trustee
Village of Ossining

D. Chad Davis
Legislator
Oneida County

James R. Dean
Trustee
Village of Cooperstown

Larry Delong
Councilman
Town of Worcester

David Di Salvo*
Trustee
Village of Lakewood

Joseph Diamond
Trustee
Village of Upper Nyack

David Doonan
Mayor
Village of Greenwich

Richard Driscoll*
Supervisor
Town of Newfield

Robert Eklund
Councilmember
Town of New Lisbon

Herb Engman
Supervisor
Town of Ithaca

Paul Feiner
Supervisor
Town of Greenburgh

Susan Forrester-Mackay
Trustee
Village of Fredonia

Dominic Frongillo*
Councilmember
Town of Caroline

Anne Geddes-Atwell
Supervisor
Town of Otsego

Cindy Gieger
County Legislator
Sullivan County

John Gill
Deputy Supervisor
Town of Milford

Wayland Gladstone
Deputy Supervisor
Town of Andes

Leah Golby
Councilmember
City of Albany

Richard Goldman
Councilmember
Town of Ulysses

James Goldstein
Supervisor
Town of Lebanon

Manna Jo Greene
Legislator
Ulster County

Donald Gregorius
Legislator
Ulster County

Barb Hamil
Planning Board
Town of Worcester

Kathy Luz Herrera
Legislator
Tompkins County

John Hertzler
Board Member
Town of Ulysses

Thomas Hohensee
Board Member
Town of Otsego

Verushka Howe-Strait
Councilmember
Town of Enfield

John Hughes
Councilmember
Town of Rosendale

Julie Huntsman*
Councilmember
Town of Otsego

John Jablonski III
Trustee
Village of Lakewood

Patricia Jacob
Councilmember
City of Oneonta

Kathleen Joy
Councilor-at-Large
City of Syracuse

Bee Keck*
Trustee
Village of Hammondsport

Stephen Keefe
Mayor
Village of Fredonia

Jean Kessner
Councilor-at-Large
City of Syracuse

Dooley Kiefer
Legislator
Tompkins County

Dan Klein
Legislator
Tompkins County

Michael Kolczynski
Supervisor
Town of Savannah

Gary Koutnik
Representative
Otsego County

Judd Krasher
Councilmember
City of Albany

William Lancaster
Councilmember
Town of Richmondville

Linda Lavine
Councilmember
Town of Dryden

Patricia Leary
Councilmember
Town of Ithaca

Edward J. Lemieux, Sr.
Supervisor
Town of Malone

Pamela Mackesey
Legislator
Tompkins County

Laura Malloy, Ph.D.*
Councilmember
Town of Lauens

Daniel Marcellus
Councilmember
Town of Lima

Patricia Matson
Councilmember
Town of Lebanon

Jen Metzger
Councilmember
Town of Rosendale

Kevin Millar
Mayor
Village of Owego

Kathy Millet
Supervisor
Town of Lansing

Maryann Mills
Common Councilmember
City of Kingston

Sara Niccoli
Supervisor
Town of Palatine

Carissa Parlato
Town Clerk
Town of Ulysses

Chris Proulx*
Alderperson
City of Ithaca

Chris Pryslopski
Councilmember
Town of Rosendale

William Reinhardt
Board Member
Town of Bethlehem

Martha Robertson
Legislator
Tompkins County

Beth Rosenthal
Representative
Otsego County

Amy Rosmarin
Councilmember
Town of North Salem

Max Ruckdeschel
Commissioner of Education
School District of Syracuse

Bennett Sandler
Councilmember
Town of Otsego

Sue Sauvageau*
Councilmember
Town of Seneca Falls

Brian Seche
Alderman
City of Kingston

Richard Shea
Supervisor
Town of Philipstown

Paul Shepherd
Councilmember
Town of Shelter Island

Susan Skidmore
Mayor
City of Elmira

David Sliney
Trustee
Village of Macedon

Kelly Smith
Councilmember
Town of Groton

Donna Stempniak
Councilmember
Town of Lancaster

Daniel Sturm
Supervisor
Town of Bethel

Kathleen Talbot
Councilmember
City of Peekskill

Robert Taylor
Supervisor
Town of New Lisbon

Elizabeth Thomas
Supervisor
Town of Trumansburg

Daniel Torres
Councilmember
Town of New Paltz

Joel Tyner
Legislator
Dutchess County

Damian Ulatowski
Supervisor
Town of Clay

Kitty Vetter
Legislator
Sullivan County

Irene Weiser
Councilmember
Town of Caroline

Daniel X. Welsh
Councilmember
Town of Lewisboro

Jay Wenk
Councilmember
Town of Woodstock

Wendy Whetsel
Councilmember
Town of Putnam Valley

Kenneth Wishnick
Legislator
Ulster County

Mark Witmer
Councilmember
Town of Caroline

Michelle E. Wright
Deputy Supervisor
Town of Ulysses

Gregory Young
Supervisor
City of Gloversville

Nancy Zahler
Deputy Supervisor
Town of Ulysses

Susan Zimet
Supervisor
Town of New Paltz

*Asterisks denote former elected officials.