A Visit to New York's City Hall

On June 23, Minister Arcand and I met with Stephen Goldsmith, the new Deputy Mayor of Operations of the City of New York. It was a privilege for us to have that meeting at the very heart of City Hall - a magnificent early 19th century building in Lower Manhattan- a few feet away from the Deputy Mayor's desk.

The City of New York is a highly efficient and well-run organization. Deputy Mayor Goldsmith and the entire Administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg are committed to using energy more wisely and reducing the cost of electricity for all New Yorkers. That goes hand in hand with PlaNYC, which aims to cut New York's greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2030. So Deputy Mayor Goldsmith was interested by what Minister Arcand had to say on Québec's renewable energy and hydro power capacity.

As the U.S. looks for ways to achieve independence from fossil fuels, Québec has the expertise to provide a reliable supply of energy to major markets in the Northeast. Deputy Mayor Goldsmith agreed with Minister Arcand that New York City's residents- who currently pay some of the highest electricity rates in the country - would benefit from alternative sources of supply.

We were warmly received at City Hall and look forward to pursuing our collaboration with the City of New York in the future.