Environment

2018 Financial Condition Report
For Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2018

Created in 1993, the EPF:

Provides an ongoing source of primarily pay-as-you-go funding to address the State’s environmental needs.
Supports a broad array of environmental programs, such as State and municipal open space conservation; municipal and agricultural non-point source water pollution control; State and local parks projects; municipal water pollution control and aquatic habitat conservation; support for the State’s zoos, botanical gardens and aquaria; waterfront revitalization; farmland conservation; and municipal climate change mitigation and resilience programs.
Has been primarily funded with a portion of the State’s real estate transfer tax. However, from SFY 2014-15 through SFY 2017-18, General Fund Transfers were also a recurring funding source and accounted for 24 percent of EPF funding.
Appropriations to the EPF have fluctuated over the life of the Fund. In SFY 2017-18, the EPF appropriation was $300 million.

A $2.5 billion capital projects appropriation was included in the SFY 2017-18 Enacted Budget for clean water infrastructure projects, including those projects authorized by the New York State Clean Water Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2017. Eligible projects include nonagricultural nonpoint source control; municipal waste water treatment; remediation of contaminated sites that contribute to water contamination; source water protection; and upgrades to septic systems and cesspools.

Appropriations in SFY 2017-18 also included the following to the capital budgets of the:
- Department of Environmental Conservation for $70 million for various purposes including remediation of environmental contamination; dam safety projects and the demolition of unsafe structures on State-owned land; State land stewardship; public access and environmental recreation infrastructure projects; and
- Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation for $122.5 million to maintain and upgrade infrastructure at State Parks facilities and to maintain ski lifts and other Olympic Regional Development Authority facilities.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration:

In 2016, New York State had the most energy efficient economy among U.S. states, consuming 2.9 thousand British Thermal Units (BTUs) for every dollar of gross domestic product.
In 2016, New York State consumed 184.6 million BTUs per capita, second lowest among U.S. states. With energy consumption of 176 million BTUs per capita, Vermont had the lowest average energy consumption.
With energy expenditures of $2,524 per person, New York State had the lowest per capita energy expenditures of any state in 2016.
New York State’s March 2018 average residential natural gas price of $12.06 per thousand cubic feet was 12th in the nation.
At 18 cents per kilowatt hour, New York State’s April 2018 average residential electric rate was eighth in the nation.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

In 2017, receipts from the sale of all agricultural commodities in New York State were approximately $5.2 billion.
With total receipts of $343 million, New York State was the second largest apple producer in the nation in 2017.
New York State was the third largest milk producer in the nation in 2017, with total sales of $2.7 billion.

Environment