R.E.A.C.T. by PECC Newsletter
Welcome to the first edition of the Renewable Energy and Climate Talk Newsletter ("R.E.A.C.T."), brought to you by the Pace Energy and Climate Center ("PECC"). R.E.A.C.T. is curated to provide its readers with updates on energy and climate developments, spotlighting key events both in New York and internationally, and acting as a source for legal scholarship and recent publications shaping the field. In each issue, you will also find original pieces written by our Energy and Climate Law Scholars exploring emerging topics and highlighting major climate and energy events.
I am beyond excited to welcome you to the first edition of R.E.A.C.T. by PECC. I was appointed to serve as the Executive Director of the Pace Energy and Climate Center on the promise to return PECC to its student oriented scholarly roots. I look forward to using this newsletter to highlight the incredible work of the number one environmental law program in the nation’s talented students and to highlight PECC’s work on the clean energy transition and the impact this transition will have on vulnerable communities.
Each R.E.A.C.T. by PECC newsletter will feature Pace Haub Law students contributing articles on energy and climate matters important to them. Additionally, expect to find contributions from energy law practitioners and thought leaders discussing the important energy and climate matters of the moment. R.E.A.C.T. by PECC will also include access to PECC’s comments in energy proceedings and provide readers with a list of upcoming deadlines we think are important to you. Finally, R.E.A.C.T. by PECC will include a curated events calendar that highlights important conferences or galas taking place in the coming weeks. Be sure to keep up with R.E.A.C.T. by PECC, where we harness the new energy of future leaders to address the climate crisis now.
PECC Executive Director, Professor Michael Hamersky, Advances Climate Action on the Global Stage
Executive Director, Michael Hamersky, will be attending the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Belem, Brazil (“COP30”), on behalf of PECC. With the assistance of PECC fellow Akinola Afolarin and PECC extern Mercè Martí i Expositio, PECC has prepared Climate Crisis Advisory Opinions: An Urgent Call for Swift Action at COP30, which proposes strategies to compel States to implement laws in response to the recent climate change advisory opinion.
Announcing the PECC 2025–26 Executive Board
The Pace Energy and Climate Center (“PECC") is thrilled to announce the 2025–26 Executive Board: Frances Gothard, Carington Lowe, and Kenneth Sumter, three exceptional Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University students committed to advancing PECC’s mission and outreach.
Recently Submitted Public Comments
- Submitted Comments on the 2025 Draft New York State Energy Plan to Persuade New York Not to Abandon its Climate Goals.
- Submitted Comments to the EPA Urging it to Abandon Reconsideration of the 2009 Endangerment Finding.
- Submitted Comments to the NJDEP Requesting to Deny Northeast Supply Enhancement Pipeline Expansion.
Upcoming Public Comment Filings
- 10/26: Comments due on Utility Stage 2 Design Studies for UTEN Pilots in Case 22-M-0429, focused on pilot design plans under the Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act ("UTENJA") of 2022.
- 11/9: Comments due on Upstate and Downstate Regional Residential Weatherization Proposals in Case 25-M-0248, addressing 2026–2030 non-LMI energy efficiency and building electrification portfolios.
PECC Energy and Climate Law Scholars Articles
New York Renewable Energy Storage: Futuristic Success or Ongoing Injustice?
- Examines New York State's rapid growth of battery energy storage systems ("BESS"), highlighting environmental justice concerns such as safety risks and disproportionate impacts on disadvantaged communities. The essay also explores regulatory gaps and proposes solutions to promote more equitable BESS development.
A Bright Future and a Dark Legacy: The Future of Nuclear Energy and Waste Disposal in New York
- Highlights New York's efforts to develop nuclear waste recycling technologies and regulatory frameworks for safely managing nuclear byproducts, alongside Governor Hochul's directive for NYPA to construct a zero-emission advanced nuclear power plant in Upstate New York.
When Washington Stalls, States Power Forward
- Discusses existing federal energy and climate policy and highlights how shifts in administration and judicial precedent have created an unstable regulatory environment. Also emphasizes the critical role of states in leading environmental and energy outcomes that can offset and outlast federal fluctuations.
Highlights from PECC Events
Stay updated on the latest developments shaping the future of energy and environmental law by reading about the takeaways from various events PECC's Energy and Climate Law Scholars have been attending. This edition includes the following four events:
- Wind Power and Battery Storage at NYSBA Environmental & Energy Law Section
- Highlighting the events from NYSBA's 2025 Fall Meeting and key legal discussions, including evolving permitting challenges, key renewable energy projects, and expectations to come. Read more here:
- Earth Law Center ECO Summit
- Exploring the paradigm shift towards recognizing personhood rights for nature as a foundation for ecological justice. Read more here:
- Causeway & COPx: Catalyst for Global Climate Change
- Discussion on how reframing climate action as an opportunity for resilience, justice, and innovation is a global remedy to the issue of climate change. Read more here:
- Accelerating Nuclear Innovation with AI
- Illustrates how artificial intelligence is reshaping the future of nuclear energy and regulatory processes. Read more here:
Upcoming Events
- 10/8–15: IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi
- 10/22: NEEP’s Heating Electrification Workshop in Princeton, NJ
- 10/22–23: ACE NY Fall 2025 Conference in Albany, NY
- 10/29: 2025 NYLCV Westchester Cocktail Party in Dobbs Ferry, NY
- 10/27–29: Land Use Leadership Alliance Training - Southern Tier
- 11/10–12: Land Use Leadership Alliance Training - Hudson Valley
- 11/9–16: 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Belem, Brazil
- 12/11: The Future of Utility Regulation 2025 - Managing Competition Symposium - NYC
R.E.A.C.T. by PECC Podcast
Premiere Episode: Introduces PECC and its priorities in the coming months.
R.E.A.C.T. by PECC Newsletter Curators:
Frances Gothard J.D. '26 | Carington Lowe J.D. '26