Policy & Science Advisor Update Q4 2025

Each quarter, NYSERDA’s Environmental Research Program issues an update on the portfolio through the Policy & Science Advisor newsletter. This issue features a study linking clean air policy to measurable ecological recovery in the Adirondacks, alongside program updates spanning ecosystem response, land-based renewables, offshore wind, climate change, and air quality and health.

Featured Research: Fish-Assemblage and Declining Acidic Deposition

Decades of Acid Rain the Adirondacks

Several decades of acid deposition (“acid rain”) affected the lakes, streams, and soils of the Adirondacks making the environment more acidic and less productive. Long term monitoring of precipitation chemistry, stream water quality, and fish populations have made it possible to track the recovery of those environments. While multiple prior studies have documented improvements in water quality of lakes and streams associated with decreased acid deposition, the extent and degree to which biological recovery in Adirondack streams could be associated with to energy-related air quality policies was under-characterized.

NYSERDA-Supported Research with USGS

NYSERDA has long supported the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and other agencies to study the environmental impacts of acidic deposition, including a recent study to evaluate the effects that the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and other sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) emission-reduction regulations have had on chemical and biological recovery of previously acidified streams in the Adirondacks. The study analyzed water chemistry and fish data from 42 headwater Adirondack Region streams, sampled during three periods - primarily in 1979 and 1999 by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and in 2020 by the USGS. The study examined the relationships among nationwide atmospheric emissions, regional wet deposition, and chemical and biological conditions in these streams.

Key Findings: Emissions, Water Chemistry, and Fish Recovery

Total annual emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x) for the contiguous United States decreased by approximately 94% and 87% between 1990 and 2021, respectively. The authors found a strong parallel relationship between this national emissions decline and wet deposition in the Adirondacks, which declined by 88% for SO2 and 70% for NOx over that same timespan. Stream chemistry results varied by watershed, but overall mean acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) and pH of stream waters increased considerably, and mean springtime Aluminum ion concentration (leached from acidified soils) decreased in the 42 Adirondack streams. Between 1979 and 2020, mean fish species richness increased by 112%, biomass increased by 66%, and density increased by 236% at 40 sites. During that time, Brook Trout density and biomass did not meaningfully change, however their distribution expanded from 20 sites to 33 sites.

Policy Implications and Ongoing Certainty

The research found that air quality improvements observed since passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments were the predominant factors behind the significant reductions in wet deposition of sulfur and nitrogen oxides in the Adirondacks, which led to improvements in temporal trends in water quality and fish assemblages in the 42 headwater streams.

This study’s observations show how scientific information, generated decades ago, can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of prior regulatory decisions and account for whether policies are having intended outcomes. The authors caution that the rate at which acidity in Adirondack streams will continue to decline and whether the modest recovery of fish assemblages will continue is uncertain. Climate change factors, including rising carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations and shifts in precipitation and temperatures have been associated with recent observations of elevated Dissolved Organic Carbon in the region’s waters. How climate change might affect the chemical and biological recovery of Adirondack streams from acidification warrants further study.

Read the full publication: Fish-assemblage and water-quality recovery with declining acidic deposition in Adirondack mountain streams, New York, USA 

Total Annual Emissions of SO2 and N Oxides Nationwide

Land Based Renewables

Solar Grazing Improves Soil Health, Pasture Quality, and Site Sustainability

The American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA), Pennsylvania State University, and American Farmland Trust presented their NYSERDA funded solar grazing research study findings on December 3, 2025. The study aimed to expand knowledge of co-location strategies for solar site maintenance. The research found that solar sites with grazing tended to have higher soil organic matter than non-grazed sits and the potential to improve the soil health on solar sites.

Get more information on the latest solar grazing research

Agricultural Technical Working Group (A-TWG)

A-TWG met once in Q4 2025 to: discuss how stakeholder feedback on the A-TWG Regional Agronomic Impacts from Solar Energy (RAISE) Committee’s Phase 1 report was addressed and important questions to address in Phase 2; hone a proposed consensus process for creating issue briefs and other products as a diverse advisory body; use that process to work toward consensus on an agrivoltaics issue brief a subgroup had drafted; and receive and discuss a briefing from the Build Ready Program.

Read the agenda, presentation, and notes

The RAISE Committee met twice in Q4 2025 to provide feedback on the draft report explaining Phase 1 of the committee’s findings, discuss candidate research priorities for Phase 2, and reflect on strengths and areas of improvement for the process and work of the committee to date. Phase 1 report publication is anticipated in late Q1/early Q2 2026.

Offshore Wind

Benthic Monitoring

The Nature Conservancy and Stony Brook University released a short video on their NYSERDA-supported work comparing different methods to monitor benthic changes at artificial infrastructure in the marine environment. One goal of this work is to understand the value of nature-based designs to support marine life.

Marine Technology Society (MTS) Tech Surge

Environmental Research and Offshore Wind Team staff attended the MTS Tech Surge at the University of Rhode Island on October 8 through October 9, 2025. This event convened experts from across sectors to explore advancements in monitoring technologies for benthic ecosystems and fisheries that support responsible offshore development. Topics of discussion included advancements in benthic mapping technologies, use of technology to transition from traditional survey methods, including highlights on new innovations, monitoring technologies applicable to offshore development. Kate McClellan Press and Morgan Brunbauer also acted as mentors to graduate students to support relationship building and provide early career advice.

Regional Fisheries Compensation Fund

The multi-state effort to advance a regional fisheries compensation fund continues to make progress. The Regional Fund Administrator (RFA) continues to engage with stakeholders and recently held a virtual for-hire recreational fishing committee meeting on December 16, 2025 and a virtual design oversight committee meeting on December 19, 2025. The objectives of these meeting were to continue to discuss the proposed program rules, advance subcommittee topics for fishing history and permit transferability, shoreside businesses, and expedited cable and construction period design principles. Additionally, the 2026 topic discussion schedule was reviewed to layout the program design agenda for the coming year.

Learn more about RFA meetings and activities

Environmental Technical Working Group (E-TWG)

The E-TWG held a meeting in New York City on November 20, 2025. The agenda included discussion of specialist committee work on science-based communication, the status of planning for the 2026 State of the Science on Offshore Energy, Wildlife, and Fisheries, and coordination of regional research and monitoring efforts.

Explore meeting materials

State of the Science

Registration for the 2026 State of the Science on Offshore Energy, Wildlife, and Fisheries is now open. The conference will take place from June 8-11 at Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York. The theme of the 2026 conference is "Building on a strong foundation: deepening knowledge and finding collaborative solutions".

Register now