Legal experts and government officials discussed the
possibilities and challenges of implementing statewide sustainable development
initiatives at the municipal level during the annual Edwin L. Crawford Program
on Municipal Law at Albany Law School on Friday, November 17, 2023. The
program, hosted by the Government Law Center at Albany Law School, examined how
state initiatives impact local governments, the role of local governments in
implementing them, existing sustainability initiatives in municipalities across
the state, and the future of local action around sustainable development.
The program included a keynote address by Doreen M. Harris,
President and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development
Authority (NYSERDA). Two panel discussions addressed the role of local
government in building decarbonization and investing in renewable energy,
respectively.
Panelists included:
• Elizabeth Bough Martin — Mayor of the Village of
Chittenango, New York
• Susanne DesRoches — Vice President, Clean and Resilient Buildings,
NYSERDA
• Malak Nassereddine — Senior Manager, New York Utility and
Regulatory Policy, Building Decarbonization Coalition
• Niki Armacost — Mayor of the Village of
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
• Anthony Fiore — Chief Program Officer, NYSERDA
• Madison Hertzog — New York City Mayor's Office of Climate
and Environmental Justice
Panel moderators included:
• Prof. Keith Hirokawa — Distinguished Professor of Law,
Albany Law School
• Javid Afzali ’12 — Partner, Harris Beach, PLLC
