Climate change funds in state budget struggle

Last year, the state collected about $101 million under the program, which is the nation's first-ever plan to combat climate change by using money from polluters to pay for alternative energy and conservation programs.

In his proposed 2017-18 state budget, Cuomo wants to move about $23 million into tax credit programs that cover residential and commercial solar photovoltaic power systems, biofuel production, heating fuel and energy-efficient buildings.

Trump's administration wants to dig and burn more coal from federal lands, force through controversial oil pipelines such as the Dakota Access and Keystone XL, relax fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks, and revoke Obama's Clean Power Plan, which would cut greenhouse gas emissions from power plants nationwide 30 percent by 2030.

Adam Flint, a member of the New York Energy Democracy Alliance, another signer of the letter, said the difference between the governor's tax credits and the proposed grants is that tax credits would primarily benefit higher and middle-income residents, while grants could be aimed at lower-income communities that often pay too little taxes to take full advantage of credits.

Last year, Senate Republicans made an unsuccessful effort to use $100 million in RGGI funds to subsidize nuclear power plants.

Since RGGI began, New York has collected more than $1.1 billion from power plant owners.