NY green groups call solar energy a top priority

ALBANY, N.Y. — Solar energy, climate change and gas-drilling wastewater are the top legislative priorities for New York's leading environmental groups this session in Albany.

Environmental Advocates has released a list of so-called “Super Bills" for 2012. Those are the bills identified as the most crucial for addressing New York's top environmental challenges.

The Solar Industry Development and Jobs Act would require state utilities and energy service companies to supply an increasing percentage of their electricity from solar.

The Global Warming Pollution Cap would require that greenhouse gas from all sources is cut by 80 percent by the year 2050.

The Hazardous Waste Loophole Act would require that all gas-drilling waste that meets the definition of hazardous waste be subject to all regulations related to its transportation, treatment, storage and disposal.