New York has announced the single largest commitment to renewable energy by a state in U.S. history at $1.4 billion. It will advance 26 large-scale renewable energy projects across New York, expected to generate enough clean, renewable energy to power more than 430,000 homes and create over 3,000 short and long-term jobs. Renewable energy projects will significantly contribute to achieving the goal of using 50 % of New York's electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030. 

 The awarded projects include 22 solar farms, demonstrating that large-scale solar power is now economically viable across New York State, three wind farms and one hydroelectric project. 

The state's $1.4 billion investment is expected to spur over $3 billion of direct investment over the life of the projects. In addition, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, joined by Al Gore, announced that New York has formally requested an exclusion from the new five-year National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, unveiled by the federal government in January 2018. 

The program proposes to make over 90 % of the total offshore acreage in the United States available to oil and gas drilling. However, New York State opposes the Program as it poses an unacceptable threat to New York's ocean resources and to its economy. 

 Governor Cuomo said: 

"Instead of protecting our waters from another oil spill, like the one that devastated the Gulf, the new federal plan only increases the chances of another disaster taking place. This is a total disregard for science, reality, and history, and their actions defy everything we know. We believe the future is a clean energy economy and New York is going to lead a counter-movement to what this administration is doing to the environment and illuminate the path forward."