About
New Yorkers for Affordable Energy is a coalition of community, labor, business and industry leaders from across the state who support greater access to clean, reliable and affordable sources of energy for residential and business consumers. We understand the important role that natural gas plays in our everyday lives, from heating and cooling our homes to powering our communities. As demand for energy continues to grow, New Yorkers for Affordable Energy supports efforts to increase access to natural gas for manufacturing facilities, power production, transportation, and to serve as a catalyst for job growth and support New York’s economy and quality of life.
Daniel Ortega is a founding member, and Treasurer of New Yorkers for Affordable Energy. He took over as Interim Executive Director in the Spring of 2023, and was appointed full-time Executive Director at our Steering Committee meeting held in December of 2023. Daniel is life-long union activist and a strong voice for working families both in New York and New Jersey.
Professionally, Daniel joined the Engineers, Labor, employers Cooperative of the Operating Engineers, local 825 in October of 2014 and oversees the Community Affairs Outreach. Mr. Ortega’s primary responsibility is to assist in developing and maintaining contacts with local governmental entities, agencies, authorities, and other relevant organizations. He actively participates at community meetings such as municipal council/town meetings, public hearings, and Planning/Zoning boards, as well as community organizations such as chambers of commerce, business associations and economic development agencies. Through these efforts, he continues to pursue and promote ELEC’s mission to foster an environment that creates economic development and construction in our region which includes the State of New Jersey and five counties in the Hudson Valley in New York: Delaware, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, and Ulster Counties.
Daniel joined the Pattern for Progress as a Board Member in fall of 2022 and the Orange County Chamber Board of Directors in January of 2024. He is very active with the Rockland Business Association Economic Development and Government Affairs Committee, and he is the Chair of the Government Affairs
Committee of the Orange County Chamber.
Before joining ELEC 825, Dan served in multiple political and intergovernmental positions with an emphasis in project mobilization, coordination, strategic planning, decision making, problem identification, and resolution within governmental cross sectors.
Dan earned his BA in Political Science from William Paterson University in 2006 and an MS in Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2010. He is also known for making a mean mac and cheese.
