The state's proposal to increase
and extend for five years a charge that inflates New Yorkers' energy costs
is "risky and unwarranted" and should be curtailed in duration and scope,
The Business Council has told the New York State Public Service Commission
(PSC).
The proposed systems benefit
charge (SBC) should be restructured and reduced or eliminated for commercial
and industrial users, and it should be extended for only two years while
its actual effects on energy conservation are assessed, Business Council
President Daniel B
New York must
invest more money in technology research and development, and do so more
strategically, to fully harness the economic potential of new technologies,
business and academic leaders said this month at a Business Council conference.
Six technology
R&D leaders from New York companies and universities participated in a panel
discussion Nov
The Business Council has
kicked off its campaign for further tax reduction in a letter to Governor
Pataki outlining The Council's tax-cut agenda for 2001.
"The giant steps that you
have taken over the past six years to make New York's taxes more competitive
are paying off in thousands of new jobs and billions of dollars in business
investment," Business Council President Daniel B
Ms. Janet H. Diexler, Secretary
Public Service Commission
Agency Building 3
Empire State Plaza
Albany, New York 12223-1350
Dear Secretary Diexler:
RE: PSC-30-00-0005; Comments on Staff Proposal to extend and expand the System Benefits Charge (SBC)
The Business Council of New York State, Inc
The Council will likely offer
formal comments on the state's proposal to expand programs designed to reduce
energy consumption funded by increased charges on energy users.
The Council has again asked
members for reactions to the proposal. This week, The Council wrote to members,
including members of its energy, manufacturing, and small business committees,
seeking their reactions to the proposal by the state Public Service Commission
(PSC) to increase and extend the "systems benefit charge" (SBC) already
added to energy bills
Three Business Council members
were honored for their contributions to The Council's environmental advocacy
efforts at The Council's 25th annual Industry-Environment Conference Oct.
25 in Saratoga Springs.
Two members received the
"Building a Better New York" Award.
Harrison Wertz, a
senior environment, health and safety specialist with Schenectady International,
Inc
ALBANYTwenty-seven
New York State schools will be the first ones honored in a new business-sponsored
award program intended to recognize schools that show the most improvement
from one year to the next as measured by the state's new academic standards.
The new "Pathfinder
Awards" were created by The Business Council to highlight and honor schools
that have improved the most
Personal health-care spending
in New York nearly doubled from 1988 to 1998, from $44.025 billion to $85.785
billion, a new analysis of federal data shows.
New York has 6.7 percent
of the nation's population, but personal health spending here accounted
for 8.4 percent of the $1
The Business
Council's Government Affairs Council (GAC) will hold its annual "issues
conference" Monday, Nov. 13, at the Desmond Hotel in Albany.
At this meeting,
GAC members and Business Council staff will discuss policy objectives for
2001 and the current political climate
An extra energy charge that
is due to expire next June would be extended for five years and increased
78 percent under a proposal being advanced by the state Public Service Commission.
The Business Council is asking
its members for their reaction to the proposal, which would boost most business's
electric bills by between 0