REV History Summary

Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) is Governor Cuomo’s plan to “rebuild, strengthen and modernize New York’s energy system. The ultimate goal of REV is to change the energy system of New York to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 80% from 1990 levels by 2050 (“80 by 50”). This page describes the history of this goal in New York State policies.

The New York State Department of Public Services (DPS) REV web page is a primary source for the history and background of REV. DPS is responsible for implementing regulatory changes for electricity distribution for REV and released the Order Instituting Proceeding for this matter on April 25, 2014. The DPS matter master for Case 14-M-0101 is the over-arching regulatory guidance

The first state initiative to propose a goal of an 80% reduction in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from 1990 levels was Executive Order No. 24 signed by Governor David Paterson on August 6, 2009. That plan a Climate Action Council which was tasked to develop a draft Climate Action Plan in 2010. The draft or interim report was completed in late 2010 but the initiative stalled soon thereafter.

The New York State Energy Plan of 2015 is described as a “comprehensive roadmap to build a clean, resilient, and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers” in the State Energy Plan Overview. It is supposed to coordinate REV.

The latest relevant Executive Order, 166: “Redoubling New York’s Fight Against the Economic and Environmental Threats Posed By Climate Change and Affirming the Goals of the Paris Climate Agreement” was June 1, 2017. It noted that “It is the policy of the State of New York to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by forty percent by 2030, and eighty percent by 2050 from 1990 levels, across all emitting activities of the economy. Therefore, all actions of all Affected State Entities shall be reasonably consistent with the policies stated herein, and of those expressed in the 2015 State Energy Plan, to achieve such objectives.

Relevant REV Inconvenient Truth Posts

The following posts are intended to provide additional information about the history of these initiatives.