Albany NY-- On Monday morning, youth vote leaders and organizations from across the state will march and demonstrate to call on Governor Cuomo to ban fracking and lead ambitiously towards a clean energy economy.

Activists are hosting a “mock wedding” and other theatrics to expose the big money relationships and back door dealings between gas corporations and politicians, and then marching to the Capitol Building to demand Governor Cuomo reign in the gas industry, ban fracking, and lead towards a clean energy economy.

“Natural gas companies have spent more than $3.2 million lobbying state government since the beginning of last year. Governor Cuomo ran on a platform to ‘work together’ to clean up Albany. Young people across New York demand that he ban fracking to carry out this commitment,” said K.C. Alvey a lead organizer for Green Umbrella.

The demonstration is the culmination of Power Shift New York, a weekend-long summit of 150 youth leaders training to build the movement against fracking and for a clean energy economy. 

The youth leaders are delivering a letter that they wrote to Governor Cuomo with the support of a national alliance of youth vote and environmental organizations saying that if Governor Cuomo wants to be a leader to the youth vote and environmental community, he must ban fracking.  

“Young voters from New York to Ohio are fighting fracking, and watching to see if Governor Cuomo will take leadership by outright banning fracking, and ambitiously leading towards a clean energy economy” said Maura Cowley, Executive Director of Energy Action Coalition, a national coalition of youth vote environmental leaders, “Governor Cuomo must ban fracking to ensure the safety and support of young people across the country.”

WHO: Hundreds of youth vote leaders and environmental and renewable advocates including Peter Olmsted of The Vote Solar Initiative.

WHAT: Major march and demonstration of youth vote leaders working to ban fracking and bring in the clean energy economy.

WHEN: Monday, April 30 from 10 AM - 12 PM

WHERE: Speakers at 10AM at the Corning City Preserve. Leave park at 10:30 to march to the Capitol with stops along the way at Chesapeake Energy and the DEC. Arrive inside Capitol at 11:30 for theatrics and delivery of letter to Gov. Cuomo. 

**VISUALS**: “Mock wedding” between gas industry and politicians with wedding gowns and groomsman, youth leaders with solar panels, green hard hats

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