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ALBANY — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany may close up to one-third of its buildings, due to a “financial and maintenance crisis,” Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger said in a letter sent to the community Monday.

He wrote that the diocese needs to refocus on its mission as it determines what buildings to keep.

“We have too many buildings!” he wrote, adding that the diocese must “relinquish” churches and other buildings.

Some of the remaining schools may also close, he said.

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“If we are to have a solid, long-term future, we cannot NOT act,” he wrote.

The diocese includes 126 parish churches, as well as some offices and schools.

The discussion on steps moving forward will begin June 8, which the diocese noted is Pentecost Sunday, the final day of the Easter season.

The diocese is in bankruptcy and was in mediation for the last year on how to settle claims regarding priests who are alleged to have sexually abused children. On March 12, a U.S. bankruptcy judge allowed some of those claims to go to trial, saying the mediation had not produced results.

Hundreds of accusers have brought claims of child sexual abuse committed by priests and others employed by the Albany diocese or its affiliated entities. The diocese has insurance, but in other cases an insurance company has argued that they do not have to pay for deliberate, criminal acts.

Diocese spokeswoman Kathy Barrans acknowledged Tuesday that the looming court cases are part of the financial crisis.

“That’s not the only reason though,” she said. “There’s fewer people in the pews. Donations are down.”

She emphasized that victims should not be blamed for the diocese’s financial problems.

Settlements for sexual abuse “have something to do with it, but that’s not the only reason for money being low,” she said. “We don’t have enough money to pay for all of the buildings and we don’t have people filling all the buildings.”

Although the bishop’s letter says the diocese must “relinquish” many buildings, Barrans said that doesn’t mean the diocese will sell them.

“Will some buildings be sold? Probably. Down the road. But there’s no solid plans,” she said.

The diocese already announced that it is closing two schools at the end of this school year: All Saints Catholic Academy, one of its three K-8 schools in Albany, and Sacred Heart School in Troy.

April 8, 2025

Staff Writer

Kathleen grew up in Glenville and now lives in Schenectady. She has covered the Capital Region for various newspapers since 2000, focusing on the interesting people who breathe life into their towns, villages and cities. She is the Times Union’s education reporter. You can reach her at [email protected] or 518-918-5497.

New York’s headlong push for an all-renewable electric grid is running out of gas.

Or, to be more accurate, it’s colliding with New Yorkers who refuse to allow their farms, forests and neighborhoods to be paved with oceans of solar panels and planted with forests of 600-foot-high wind turbines.

A new report commissioned by the New York Affordable Clean Power Alliance, which represents solar energy, wind energy and independent power producers, concludes that the Empire State’s electric grid faces “hurdles in maintaining reliability” due in large part to its failure to meet “ambitious renewables targets.”

The state has “fallen short” of those eco-friendly goals because of such “challenges” as “local opposition” and “lack of transmission capacity.”

Local opposition? You don’t say.

You won’t hear much about it in legacy media outlets, but New York has been an epicenter of the backlash against Big Solar and Big Wind for two decades.

As early as 2007, the Catskills towns of Meredith and Bovina passed an ordinance banning wind projects after residents expressed concerns “about views, health, safety, noise, and property values.”

I created the Renewable Rejection Database to track the backlash against alternative energy. Since 2015, New York towns and counties have logged at least 78 rejections or restrictions of wind and solar projects.

That means close to 10% of the database’s 793 rejections have occurred in the Empire State. Only Ohio has recorded more.

Alt-energy promoters understand why rural residents are fighting back.

As Anne Reynolds, then the executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York, admitted in 2018, “I personally think the arguments against wind energy are because people don’t want to see the turbines.”

New York’s climate plan, signed into law in 2019 by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was never more than a hopium-filled wish list.

It requires the state to obtain 70% of its electricity from renewables by 2030 and 100% zero-carbon-emission electricity by 2040.

Achieving that, the plan says, would require “aggressive deployment of existing renewable energy” and batteries.

How aggressive? Very.

New York now has about 2,600 megawatts of wind-generation capacity. But it has only added about 1,000 megawatts of new wind generation since 2012.

The state also has about 6,000 megawatts of solar capacity — not nearly enough juice to meet demand during the hot summer months, when peak loads exceed 33,000 megawatts statewide.

In 2020, the backlash against Big Solar and Big Wind led Albany to implement an executive law that gives state officials the authority to override local zoning laws and force communities to accept renewable projects they don’t want.

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But not even that bureaucratic power play can solve New York’s looming electricity crisis.

According to the NYACPA report, the New York City area will “experience a generation shortfall starting in 2033, driven by an increase in peak demand and the planned retirement of existing dispatchable generation.”

Read: NYC will be plagued with blackouts and brown-outs in the near future.

In addition to the possibility of electricity shortages, New York consumers are being hammered by cost increases due to the state’s renewable mandates.

In February, ConEd proposed a rate increase that will increase the cost of an average gas and electricity bill by $154 per month.

Those increases will add further pain to New Yorkers, who now pay about 24.4 cents per kilowatt-hour for their electricity — nearly 48% more than the US average.

More cost increases are coming. The state’s climate plan hinges on a massive increase in offshore wind energy, among the most expensive ways of producing power.

Ratepayers will also be on the hook for some $26 billion worth of high-voltage transmission projects needed to accommodate more wind and solar.

The punchline here is obvious: New Yorkers have been duped.

For years, climate groups and their myriad Albany allies have claimed that the state can run solely on alternative energy, if only it had the political will.

But now even the solar and wind jihadis are being forced to admit that their plans are being short-circuited by rural and neighborhood opposition to wind projects, solar projects and most recently, to lithium-ion battery storage sites, too.

Speaking of rejections, here’s the latest: In February, the Town Board in Dunkirk voted 3 to 1 to reject a 3.75 megawatt solar project.

Town Supervisor Priscilla Penfold, who voted against, said it would diminish “the agricultural nature of the town.”

That rejection won’t be the last.

Robert Bryce is an author, film producer and public speaker who writes about energy and power at robertbryce.substack.com.

The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), partners, legal service providers, immigrant New Yorkers and allies will rally at the New York State Capitol in support of the Access to Representation Act (ARA, S141/A270) and the Building Up Immigrant Legal Defense Act (BUILD Act, A2689/S4538) for the 2025 New York State Legislative Session. They will also be calling for an investment of $165 million in the State budget for immigration legal services and infrastructure.

The ARA would be the first of its kind in the nation, guaranteeing immigrants facing deportation the right to legal counsel in New York State and ensuring they have a fair chance to fight for their freedom. The BUILD Act lays the groundwork for ARA by investing in the critical legal infrastructure needed for service providers to create, maintain and expand programs to protect immigrant New Yorkers.

“As the budget session reaches its final stretch—and in light of unprecedented hostility to immigrants at the federal level—the urgency to create the right to legal representation for immigrants has never been greater,” said Murad Awawdeh, President & CEO, New York Immigration Coalition. “Justice and due process are not privileges; they are fundamental principles that the State must defend. This is a pivotal moment to take bold action and guarantee that every New Yorker, no matter their immigration status, is guaranteed a fair chance at due process and equal rights.”

“We must protect New York’s immigrant community from the attacks that President Trump has promised. Now is the time to make significant financial investments in immigrant legal representation, protect our immigrant communities from overreaches by Donald Trump’s Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and pass the Access to Representation Act (S.141), which I sponsor with Assemblymember Cruz, into law. The ARA will guarantee that all those in New York State facing legal challenges related to their immigration status have access to lawyers, which is not currently the case. Legal representation can quite literally determine if thousands of parents are separated from their children or not. By investing in immigrant legal services we can protect vulnerable communities, stop family separation and reform our broken immigration court system, before Donald Trump has the chance to damage it even further,” said Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, District 47.

“New York has always been a sanctuary for those seeking safety, opportunity, and justice. But without legal representation, too many of our immigrant neighbors are forced to fight for their futures alone in a system designed to push them out. As we confront the renewed threats of mass deportation and family separation, we must meet this moment with action. Passing the Access to Representation Act and the BUILD Act is not just about policy—it’s about standing up for the fundamental right to due process. Our state must invest $165 million in legal services to ensure that no New Yorker is left without a fighting chance. This is how we uphold our values, protect our communities, and push back against the injustice of an immigration system that too often denies fairness to those who need it most,” said Assembly Member Catalina Cruz, District 39.

“As families across New York and the nation face increasing threats of deportation, it is vital that our courts uphold the law and ensure every individual has the legal support they need to navigate an increasingly complex system. The Access to Representation and BUILD Act will provide the necessary legal infrastructure to meet the growing demand for representation in our courts and ensure no families are broken up without a fair fight. Thank you to the CARE for Immigrant Families Coalition and my colleagues in the legislature for continuing to fight for resources to protect fellow New Yorkers,” said Senator John Liu, District 16.

“In these perilous times for immigrants in the United States, maintaining and increasing the resources that will help them is a must. People facing deportation need the representation of a lawyer, and as a co-sponsor of the Access to Representation Act, that’s why I will continue to support immigration legal services. Our many new Americans bolster our communities and contribute greatly to our economy—so let’s invest in their future—and a future that benefits all of us,” said Senator Pete Harckham, District 40.

“Without a lawyer, immigrants in detention or facing deportation have little chance of seeing justice. Imagine being arrested, separated from your family, and forced to navigate an impossibly complex legal system alone. We must pass the Access to Representation Act to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to legal counsel and that all families are protected,” said Assembly Member Claire Valdez, District 37.

“Due process and access to representation are fundamental to justice,” said Assembly Member Grace Lee, District 65. “New York State has always been a place that welcomes immigrants. We are calling for $165 million in this year’s budget to strengthen immigration rights services. No New Yorker should be left without representation in the courts. Thank you to Assemblymember Catalina Cruz and NYIC for their leadership on this legislation.”

“Now more than ever, immigrants need every resource to ensure they get due process and access to representation,” said Assembly Member Gabriella A. Romero, District 109. “Passing the Access to Representation Act (ARA) is a critical step to strengthen New York’s immigration legal services. It’s been shown that immigrants in detention with representation are ten times more likely to win their cases than those who don’t have counsel. The stakes are serious: detention, family separation, and deportation. It’s time New York State gives immigrants the right to counsel and offers more protection as the federal government threatens immigrant communities.”

“The Trump administration’s relentless anti-immigrant agenda has put millions of people at risk for mass deportation, family separation, and indefinite detention. These unlawful attacks will devastate local communities and destabilize New York’s economy. Last Friday, the Trump administration moved to effectively shut down legal representation for unaccompanied children in immigration court. In the face of this dangerous rollback, New York must lead by making investments that ensure that these children have representation and must defend all immigrant New Yorkers against an unprecedented federal assault on their rights. While the Senate and Assembly proposed $75 million for immigration legal services in their one house budgets, this is simply not enough. The State must invest $165 million to meet urgent needs and must pass on critical legislation like the Access to Representation and BUILD Acts to protect every New Yorker’s rights. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and leaders must act now,” said Rosie Wang, Program Manager, Advancing Universal Representation initiative, Vera Institute of Justice. (NYIC)

On Tuesday, March 18, 25, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America was welcomed at the Capitol of New York in Albany for a special Celebration for Greek Heritage, hosted by Greek American New York State Senate and Assembly Greek Legislators Senators Andrew Gounardes and Michael Gianaris and Assemblymembers Michael Tannousis and John Lemondes, Jr. During the full day of events His Eminence also had the opportunity meet and speak with President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader of the New York State Senate Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Speaker of the Assembly Carl Heastie and Assembly Speaker Pro Temp Pamela Hunter about the role of Greek Orthodox Christians in New York and their contributions to the state.

Again, this year His Eminence was honored to offer invocation and remarks for the sessions of the State Assembly in the morning and the State Senate in the afternoon. Read His Eminence’s text here: Invocation for NY Senate – Invocation for NY Assembly.

At noon, a festive reception was held at the Capitol for distinguished members of the Greek American community in New York, including Consul General of Greece in NY Iphigenia Kanara, Consul General of Cyprus in NY Michalis Firillas. In his remarks at the Reception the Archbishop noted the connection of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America with New York, saying, “New York State and New York City occupy a special place in the minds and hearts of Greek Orthodox Americans. It is here that we have our Church’s National Headquarters. It is here that so many of our parishioners’ ancestors passed through Ellis Island. And it is here that myriads of Greek-Americans make their homes – from Albany to Brooklyn, from Queens to Rochester, from Manhattan to the North and South Shores of Long Island. Although the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America inhabits all of the Fifty United States, we have a special relationship with the Empire State, one that we value. It is not without significance that at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan – the site of the worst attack on American soil in our nearly 250-year history – the only house of worship destroyed was a Greek Orthodox Church. We have rebuilt it as a Shrine for the Nation – the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, which welcomes everyone into its midst. We are proud to make this contribution to the City of New York, to our Great State, and to our Nation.” (full text)

During his visit to Albany, His Eminence also made a special visit to St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Albany, which celebrated 100 years in 2022.

Photos: Orthodox Observer/Dimitrios Panagos

ALBANY — M&T Bank is naming Capital Region native Charles Pinckney, the current president of its Albany region, to also take on the bank’s Hudson Valley operations, which include Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan, Orange and Putnam counties.

The move will put Pinckney in charge of 40 branches and hundreds of employees across 20 counties between Clinton County and Westchester County at a time of growing economic uncertainty.

M&T Bank is based in Buffalo but is a major regional business lender and retail bank with $208 billion in assets as of the end of 2024, according to company figures.

M&T has 12 Capital Region branches but its business extends up to Clinton County, where Plattsburgh is the county seat. He replaces Mark Stellwag, who announced his retirement last year and was a mentor to Pinckney, who has been with the bank since 2008.

Since joining M&T, Pinckney, 39, has served in the roles of team leader, commercial relationship manager and senior group manager for commercial real estate, health care and not-for-profit businesses. He was named regional president for the Capital Region in 2022.

“A lifelong resident of the Capital Region with an enduring commitment to its communities, Charles is well-positioned to guide M&T Bank’s efforts fostering economic growth and supporting local businesses,” Mike Keegan, M&T Bank’s senior executive vice president and head of community banking, said in a statement. “Charles is a proven leader with an exceptional track record in driving growth and creating opportunities that strengthen and uplift our local neighbors. He demonstrates an innate ability to connect with his colleagues and understands what makes a region successful.”

Pinckney, who lives in Saratoga Springs, told the Times Union he was very excited to add the lower Hudson Valley, which is between the Capital Region and Westchester County, to his roster. He said the Hudson Valley region has a great deposit base.

Pinckney said he was very enthusiastic about the upstate economy and noted that M&T has been involved in financing high-tech projects in the Capital Region and beyond.

“There’s a lot of upside in upstate New York,” Pinckney said. “It’s very competitive.”

He added, however, that he is taking a wait-and-see attitude with the simmering trade war between Canada and the United States, with tariffs threatened by both sides. Upstate New York and Canada, including Ontario and Quebec, have strong trade ties, with jobs on both sides of the border dependent on that trade, especially tourism.

“We’re continuing to monitor the situation,” Pinckney said.

March 19, 2025

Staff Writer

Larry Rulison has been a reporter for the Times Union since 2005. Larry’s reporting for the Times Union has won several awards for business and investigative journalism from the New York State Associated Press Association and the New York News Publishers Association. Contact him at 518-454-5504 or [email protected].