The Governor announced the New York State Office of Strategic Workforce Development has awarded more than $6 million in grants to eight projects across the state through the first round of the Capital and Pay for Performance Grant Programs. These grants will support the training of nearly 3,000 workers through collaboration between training providers and more than 100 employer partners in fields like advanced manufacturing, information technology, and film and television.

The $35 million Capital Grant Program will support the capital needs of workforce training providers that seek to enhance or expand their offerings. The $115 million Pay for Performance Grant Program has two funding tracks:

• Flexible Operating Grants that help providers cover programmatic expenses like curriculum development and wraparound services to prepare New Yorkers with in-demand skills and industry-recognized credentials.
• Capacity-Building Awards, a data- and metrics-driven approach to scale up proven workforce training programs actively placing graduates in good jobs. Using achievement-based awards, workforce training providers will receive funding to expand the capacity of successful programs with high placement rates.

The Office is actively accepting applications for both the Capital and Pay for Performance Grant Programs and will continue to make awards on a rolling basis. Applicants can apply through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA), and program guidelines and deadlines can be found on the ESD website at https://esd.ny.gov/workforce.

A full list of awardees can be found here.

Governor Hochul said:

Governor Announces Framework to Achieve Six Gigawatts of Energy Storage by 2030

The Governor announced a new framework for the State to achieve six gigawatts of energy storage by 2030, which represents at least 20 percent of the peak electricity load of New York State. The roadmap, submitted by NYSERDA and the Department of Public Service to the Public Service Commission for consideration, proposes a set of recommendations to expand New York’s energy storage programs to cost-effectively unlock the rapid growth of renewable energy across the state and bolster grid reliability and customer resilience.

If approved, the roadmap will support a buildout of storage deployments estimated to reduce projected future statewide electric system costs by nearly $2 billion. Today’s announcement supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goals to generate 70 percent of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 100 percent zero-emission electricity by 2040.

This roadmap proposes the implementation of NYSERDA-led programs towards procuring an additional 4.7 gigawatts of new storage projects across the bulk (large-scale), retail (community, commercial and industrial), and residential energy storage sectors in New York State. These future procurements, combined with the 1.3 gigawatts of existing energy storage already under contract with the State and moving towards commercial operation, will allow the State to achieve the six-gigawatt goal by 2030.

Governor Hochul said:

Governor Signs the Digital Fair Repair Act

The Governor signed the Digital Fair Repair Act (S4104-A/A7006-B) into law after the legislature agreed to make changes to the bill. The new law will require original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to make diagnostic and repair information for digital electronic parts and equipment available to independent repair providers and consumers if such parts and repair information are also available to OEM authorized repair providers and servicers. This legislation will make New York the first state in the nation to require such information from OEMs.

According to the approval memo issued by the Governor, the chapter amendment will exempt devices sold exclusively “business-to-business” and “business-to-government.” The bill also doesn’t require companies to “license any intellectual property,” and exempts them from having to release information that would override device security features. In addition, the new requirements will only apply to digital electronic equipment that is both manufactured for the first time as well as sold or used in New York for the first time on or after July 1, 2023. The bill had previously been revised to exempt home appliances, farm equipment and medical devices.

Governor Hochul said:

Governor’s Court of Appeals Nominee Faces Confirmation Headwinds

Governor Hochul’s nominee for chief judge of the Court of Appeals appears to have significant opposition from Senate Democrats, who will need to confirm or deny the nomination within 30 days. So far, at least 10 Senate Democrats have announced their intention not to vote to confirm the nomination. Others have signaled the do not agree with the nomination without going as far as to declare they would not vote to confirm. Deputy Majority Leader Gianaris announced he would not support confirmation along with Labor Committee chair Senator Ramos.

Governor Hochul released a statement in support of her nominee despite the pushback from Senate Democrats saying “”Judge LaSalle is a highly qualified highly experienced, and respected jurist, and his historic nomination deserves a full hearing and confirmation process.  I expect that the Senate will fulfil their constitutional duties and engage in a robust, fair process. I know that Judge LaSalle is the best candidate for the job, and I believe that when Senators hear from him directly, they will agree.”