Dear Buffalo area friends,

We are writing today to ask for your help to pass the NY HEAT Act – essential climate and energy affordability legislation in this year’s budget. National Fuel has been bombarding local Legislators with robocalls against the bill, seeking to block New York’s climate plan from moving forward (read more about National Fuel’s dirty dealings here).  We need your help counteracting those calls..

The NY HEAT Act, which has the full support of the New York State Senate and partial support of Governor Hochul, will allow us to begin to transition our buildings off of fracked gas and would benefit the 24% of Erie County households with high energy burdens could see their bills cut in half, saving an average of $109 per month. It would also halt subsidies you are paying now to continue to expand the gas system and would allow the utilities to invest in clean heating options and provide no cost equipment upgrades to you!

WNY Assemblymembers Peoples-Stokes, Burke, Conrad, Wallace and McMahon need to hear from you! Only Jon Rivera has sponsored NY HEAT and he needs calls and e-mails of encouragement.

As their constituents YOU can help loosen National Fuel’s grip on these legislators by calling and e-mailing them today. Use our handy tool to make the call and/or send an e-mail.  To call, click the phone icon at the top of the blue section.  To email, click the letter icon.

Or call their office and use this script:

“Hello, my name is ___ and I live in ____________and I’m a constituent of Assemblymember _____________. I’m calling to express my support for the NY HEAT Act bill number A.4592B and ask that it be passed in the budget. The Governor and the Senate are ready to lead on climate in this year’s budget, but the Assembly is standing in the way of climate progress and energy affordability. I’m asking Assembly Member ________________ to support the inclusion of the full NY HEAT Act in the budget. We deserve cleaner heat and lower bills.”

Do you have an hour or two to spare for climate action? Join Food and Water Watch for call banking your neighbors in Western New York and urging them to contact their Assemblymembers. We have a list of climate advocates to call.

For a deeper dive into the state of play with NY HEAT, tune in  for our April Power Hour on Thursday, April 4th at 7PM for an update from Jessica Azulay of AGREE and Liz Moran of Earth Justice. They will be sharing their insight into the politics at play and their ideas for how we can help apply the right pressure to the right people in the Assembly.