Our Clean Energy Commitment

For over 125 years, Orange & Rockland has provided its customers with reliable energy and has played a vital role in building the New York/New Jersey metro area into a world-class, 24/7 destination. However, as the impacts of climate change and extreme weather become more urgent, Orange & Rockland believes that the clean energy transition is critical for New York’s future.   
 
New York State’s ambitious climate law requires the transition to a zero-emission electric grid by 2040, which is why Orange & Rockland is a key partner—working with customers, regulators, policymakers, and other stakeholders—in reimagining energy for the future.  

The Consolidated Edison, Inc. Clean Energy Commitment represents a blueprint for helping achieve the state’s climate and renewable energy goals. Each pillar is comprised of various company initiatives, including building an electric grid that is both more resilient against the impact of climate change and also clean-energy ready, helping to accelerate electrification and energy efficiency for customers and increasing access to electric vehicle charging, transitioning away from reliance on fossil fuels, strengthening the renewable jobs pipeline, and improving the quality of life of the neighborhoods we serve and live in, focusing on communities that have been disproportionately impacted by climate change.

Through this clean energy commitment, Orange & Rockland will continue to help usher in a clean energy future equitably and efficiently with the goal of all those in our service area sharing in the benefits of a more sustainable grid.  

Pillar 1: Build the Grid of the Future

Build a resilient electric grid that is capable of delivering 100% clean energy by 2040 in support of New York State’s and New York City’s climate goals.

Initiative 1

Build an electric grid that is capable of delivering reliable clean energy to support New York State’s and New York City’s climate goals. This will include developing “clean energy hubs” to facilitate offshore wind and planning for new substations and local transmission projects (e.g., Reliable Clean City projects) to support clean energy sources and our customers’ growing electrification needs

Initiative 2

Building on Con Edison’s resiliency investments of more than $1 billion for storm fortification efforts following Hurricane Sandy, we requested approval to make additional investments between 2025 and 2029 to further fortify our electric system from extreme weather. This investment plan was informed by our industry-leading climate study, which found extreme weather events will happen with more frequency in the future.

Initiative 3

Facilitate expansion of distributed energy resources (DER) on the electric grid by enabling interconnections with the buildout of capacity for more DERs; and increase the use of small-scale renewable energy generation by deploying grid-edge technology.

Initiative 4

Leverage our expertise to own and operate renewable generation. We are seeking governmental authorization to generate medium- and large-scale renewable generation, like solar and wind, in New York State.

Initiative 5

Con Edison Transmission plans to invest at least $1 billion from 2020-2030 to develop, with strategic partners, electric transmission to bring clean, renewable energy from where it is produced to where it is needed to serve customers, advocating a “transmission first” approach (building out the transmission capacity to ready the electric grid for the buildout of renewable assets) where appropriate.

Initiative 6

Promote and procure energy storage that can provide support to the electric grid and help balance intermittent renewables through a combination of utility-owned large-scale and customer-owned distributed-battery systems; and advocate for cost-effective structures for battery storage for our customers.

Pillar 2: Empower All of Our Customers to Meet Their Climate Goals

Accelerate energy efficiency by enabling customers’ deep retrofits, support New York City’s goal of electrifying most building heating systems by 2050, and enable a robust electric vehicle charging network in our service area.

Initiative 1

Pursue customer energy use reductions by tripling the amount of our energy efficiency and building electrification program investments, including customer incentives, to about $2 billion in total from 2020-2025.

Initiative 2

Work with localities to support changes to building codes that will help our customers reduce the use of fossil fuels in buildings and promote net-zero building policies for new construction.

Initiative 3

Aim to invest $2.7 billion from 2026-2030 to support our customers in reducing their building carbon emissions, focusing on deep energy efficiency upgrades, building electrification, and facilitating the clean energy transition for low- and moderate-income (LMI) customers.

Initiative 4

Support electric vehicles by planning the needed electric grid buildout and deploying customer incentives (such as through the PowerReady program)—all to help meet the anticipated need for 1 million electric vehicle chargers in our service territory to achieve New York State’s climate goals by 2050.

Initiative 5

Through customer incentives and other programs, support our commercial customers and government partners to transition their car, bus, and truck fleets to electric, improving air quality, particularly in disadvantaged communities.

Initiative 6

Support New York State’s goal of all new passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks sold by 2035 being zero-emissions models, with continued stakeholder engagement to support implementation.

Pillar 3: Reimagine the Gas System

Support decarbonizing and reducing the use of fossil natural gas, and explore new ways to use our existing, resilient gas infrastructure to serve our customers’ future needs.

Initiative 1

Support policy reforms and programs that reduce natural gas consumption and provide customers clean energy alternatives.

Initiative 2

Provide customers heating options through non-pipe and other clean energy alternatives, and continue to focus capital investments in the gas system on public safety and system reliability, leveraging our main replacement program to reduce methane emissions.

Initiative 3

Advocate for the reduction of upstream fugitive methane emissions across the natural gas production and delivery value chain.

Initiative 4

Support options to procure low-carbon fuels to serve hard-to-electrify customers.

Initiative 5

Target $100 million in R&D investments from 2020-2030 to facilitate the clean energy future, including the development of long-duration energy storage and hydrogen technologies, among others.

Pillar 4: Lead by Reducing Our Company’s Carbon Footprint

Aim for zero direct greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1) for the company-owned electric-generating units on our steam system by 2040 and overall net-zero Scope 1 emissions from our operations by 2050, in support of New York State’s climate goals. As of year-end 2023, we have reduced our Scope 1 emissions by more than 54% since 2005.

Initiative 1

Aim to reduce the carbon footprint of our steam system (about 85% of our company’s Scope 1 emissions) via energy efficiency and exploring the use of low-carbon fuels; industrial heat pumps; electrification of boilers; thermal storage; carbon capture and sequestration; and/or carbon offsets, among other potential methods.

Initiative 2

Reduce fugitive methane emissions from our natural gas delivery system by 85% from 2005 levels by 2040 through continued actions that have already resulted in a 50% reduction in emissions since 2005. Our actions include continued application of leak detection, repair best practices, and continuing our planned main replacement program.

Initiative 3

Electrify our light-duty vehicle fleet 100% by 2035 and 80% by 2030. Moving forward, 100% of our new light-duty vehicle purchases will be electrified vehicles. We are also pursuing, through research and development, alternative technologies to reduce fossil fuels for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

Initiative 4

Since 2021, we have committed that all new company-owned buildings constructed will be 100% electric. We will also apply significant energy efficiency measures to existing facilities to reduce our own carbon footprint.

Pillar 5: Partner With Our Stakeholders

Enhance our collaboration with our customers and stakeholders to improve the quality of life of the neighborhoods we serve and live in, focusing on disadvantaged communities.

Initiative 1

Advocate for cost effectiveness and partner with customer advocacy groups, our regulators, governmental partners, and other stakeholders to prioritize affordability for LMI customers throughout the transition to a clean energy future.

Initiative 2

Continue to engage environmental justice advocates to build bridges within disadvantaged communities and enhance our efforts to provide equitable distribution of benefits when designing programs and implementing projects.

Initiative 3

Build on existing efforts to invest in green job training, clean energy and technology career readiness, and workforce development initiatives, including for our energy efficiency programs with a strong focus on hiring from disadvantaged communities.

Initiative 4

Provide easier access to programs and information for customers who want to reduce their use of fossil fuels; manage their energy use and emissions profile; and transition to new clean technologies. We will use digital, in-person, and interactive engagement tools to amplify our clean energy offerings and thought leadership.

Initiative 5

Provide training and other opportunities to support the overall “climate literacy” and sustainability knowledge of our employees.

Initiative 6

Collaborate with interested stakeholders, including local municipalities and the real estate community, to identify key changes needed to foster a more “electrification ready” environment and help enable infrastructure investments, including planning, land use, building codes, and other policies to assist with a seamless energy transition.