Rise Light & Power Celebrates Earth Day with Queens Community at 2nd Annual Renewable Ravenswood Family Festival
Environmental justice advocates, elected officials, and community leaders gathered to celebrate Earth Day and support the Queensboro Renewable Express – a project to deliver offshore wind energy to millions of New York homes
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY – Rise Light & Power proudly hosted hundreds of Western Queens residents and area elected officials on April 26, 2025 to mark the second annual Renewable Ravenswood Family Festival at Jacob A. Riis Settlement at Queensbridge Houses. With the local community rallying around the plan to transform the Ravenswood Generating Station into a clean energy hub, the event brought local Queens vendors together with families for Earth Day-themed activities, including science education, printmaking and circus arts, music and dance, and BBQ.
“We are thrilled that so many of our neighbors joined us in celebrating Earth Day and our work to deliver clean energy to environmental justice communities,” said Clint Plummer, CEO of Rise Light & Power. “Our Renewable Ravenswood vision and Queensboro Renewable Express project are mature, common-sense plans to replace fossil fuel infrastructure with the energy of the future and to help New York State meet its requirements under the Climate Act.”
Rise hosted the festival in partnership with local community partners, including Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement, NAACP NYCHA Branch, Urban Upbound, Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens, HANAC, BioBus, and the Residents Associations of NYCHA’s Queensbridge, Ravenswood, Astoria, and Woodside Houses. Food, music, and arts workshops were provided by a number of local vendors, including Bascom Catering – a Jamaica, Queens-based MWBE – and DJ Crazy Doc, a resident of Ravenswood Houses.
Children and families enjoyed climate education sessions, music and dance, and Earth Day-themed arts and crafts such as printmaking and archival storytelling. Rise Light & Power also provided information about its Renewable Ravenswood and Queensboro Renewable Express projects via a 3D architectural model produced by architecture students at CUNY’s City College of New York. Last summer, locals voiced unanimous support for the project at a public hearing hosted by the New York State Department of Public Service.
“I was delighted to join so many Western Queens neighbors at Queensbridge to celebrate Earth Day with Rise Light & Power,” said Senator Kristen Gonzalez. “We owe it to our world – and to our most vulnerable neighbors – to keep fighting for a brighter future, cleaner energy, and environmental justice.”
“It was our pleasure to co-host another terrific Earth Day celebration with our partners at Rise Light & Power,” said Christopher Hanway, Executive Director of Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement. “The long march towards environmental justice is a top priority for our community; we will continue to advocate for a Renewable Ravenswood until the job is done.”
“What makes the Renewable Ravenswood plan truly special is its foundation in environmental justice,” said Bishop Mitchell Taylor, CEO of Urban Upbound. “This isn’t just a transition in infrastructure — it’s a transition in opportunity. Rise Light & Power is investing in preparing NYCHA residents for careers and entrepreneurship in the green economy, helping ensure that the very communities most impacted by pollution are now first in line for the benefits of a cleaner, greener future.”
“This Earth Day, we call on our partners in government to do everything in their power to move Renewable Ravenswood ahead,” said Corinne Haynes, President of Queensbridge Houses Residents Association. “We thank Rise Light & Power for their continued demonstration of what it means to be a true partner to this community. The event was fun and engaging while also educating our neighbors about climate action and science.”
About Rise Light & Power:
Rise Light & Power is a Queens, New York based energy asset manager and developer, and is actively transforming its core asset, Long Island City’s Ravenswood Generating Station, into a new clean energy hub Renewable Ravenswood. By redeveloping New York City’s largest power generating facility, Rise will permanently replace fossil fuel power with homegrown renewable energy, while providing a just transition for its existing union workforce and economic opportunities for surrounding communities. Renewable Ravenswood is at the forefront of the ambitious clean energy transition taking place in New York State and will continue to provide reliable and cost-effective electricity for New York City for decades to come. Rise Light & Power is a wholly owned affiliate of LS Power.