Buildout Movements : Public Power New York’s Cause for Renewable Energy

Ankit Bhardwaj, NYU

In the past decade, climate movements have risen to prominence, participated in crafting laws and regulation, and blocked fossil fuel projects, yet the goal to rapidly build renewable energy remains elusive. So, news that New York’s political leaders approved of the Build Public Renewables Act (BPRA) in the 2023 state budget, came as a welcome surprise. Based on more then 30-months of participant-observation, this paper will offer an account of the movement for Public Power in New York (PPNY) which experimented with a variety of strategies to compel the construction of more renewable energy. I use the case to theorize general implications for "buildout movements" seeking to compel the construction of low-carbon technologies, and how their repertoires deviate from other climate movements.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 54. Environmental Crises and Transitions