Jonathan Binder, Esq.

Chief, Bureau of Climate, Air, and Energy, Office of General Counsel
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC)

Jonathan A. Binder is the Chief of the Bureau of Climate, Air, and Energy in the Office of General Counsel at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

In this role, Mr. Binder oversees legal counsel for DEC’s development and implementation of a wide range of programs to achieve the State’s climate and clean energy policies. This includes State actions to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants, regulations and permitting under the federal Clean Air Act, and the siting and environmental review of proposed major energy projects.
Since joining DEC in 2008, Mr. Binder has served as the agency’s lead attorney regarding climate change issues. He provides legal support for all aspects of DEC’s efforts to address climate change through reducing emissions and increasing resiliency, including participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative as well as other regulatory programs. More recently, he advises regarding the State’s ongoing implementation of the nation-leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Mr. Binder also represents DEC in administrative proceedings at both the State and federal levels regarding proposed energy projects. This includes proposals for wind and solar farms, hydroelectric facilities, electric transmission lines, natural gas pipelines, and fossil fuel-fired generation.

Prior to joining DEC, Mr. Binder was an Assistant Regional Counsel in the U.S. EPA’s Region 1 Office in Boston. He holds a J.D., magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, from Tulane University Law School, and a B.S. in Policy Analysis and Management from Cornell University.