State Sen. Darrel Aubertine says support for a successor to the Power for Jobs program is growing.

Aubertine says his colleagues in the Assembly, from all parts of the state, support Energize New York as a new and improved successor to Power for Jobs. He says the support for a long term program that protects jobs statewide and with a focus on Upstate parallels the support of the business community.

“Business groups across the state, editorial boards, the governor and lawmakers in the Senate from both sides of the political aisle have endorsed this program as good for business and sustainable for long term job preservation and growth,” said Aubertine, who sponsored the Energize New York legislation, which passed the Senate 59-2.

“The bill has not moved in the Assembly, but it is encouraging to see a swell of support. We need to now take steps to build on that support, while protecting the jobs that depend on the programs already in place.”

The senator, who serves as Vice Chair and Ranking Majority Member of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, applauded Assembly members who sent an email to their leadership in the Assembly saying they “emphatically” support the Energize New York program as the best means of continuing to preserve jobs.

Aubertine says that without movement in the Assembly this week, businesses that have depended on the Power for Jobs program -- which he says helps to sustain the jobs of more than a quarter of a million New Yorkers -- will not be able to guarantee those jobs in the face of higher energy costs.

To provide more time to build support in the lower house, the Senator and his colleagues unanimously passed a Power for Jobs extender on Tuesday to ensure benefits are protected.

“Permanent reform is needed and we cannot lose sight of the positive gains represented by Energize New York, including long term contracts and a minimum allocation of benefits for Upstate New York employers,” Aubertine said. “A stable, long term program will give businesses the certainty they need to invest in our communities and create new jobs. Extenders are not the answer, but we cannot put employers in a position to consider layoffs now, when we can see that there is support and that support is growing.”