The Partial Observer by Dennis Higgins

A New Push for the Build Public Renewables Act

Recently, two downstate legislators—Senator Julia Salazar and Assemblywoman Sarahana Shrestha—renewed the pressure to get the state power authority (NYPA) to compete with private industry to build out industrial solar and wind across rural New York. (https://www.cityandstateny.com/opinion/2024/07/opinion-nys-climate-progress-failing-new-plan-public-power-can-fix-it/398385/)

They begin by noting that the state energy research and development authority (NYSERDA) recently came out with a report indicating that New York will not meet a 70 percent renewable energy grid by 2030, the first of several decarbonization targets in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. They conclude from this that, “We must launch a bold new era of public power in New York.” The state power authority –NYPA—should start installing solar and wind. With language right out of the Big Green playbook, they claim: “[We] can build a truly green New York, with 100 percent renewable energy, plentiful union jobs, lower bills and cleaner, healthier air.” Sadly, their real concern with global warming was undermined by their many misstatements and factual errors.

Salazar and Shrestha contend that the slow rate of solar and wind installation is caused by developers’ greed. “Thanks to a mix of inflation, supply chain issues and an outdated grid system that was designed for fossil fuels, building renewables just isn’t profitable enough in New York.” Certainly, supply chain issues and inflation are partly to blame for higher costs. Those issues, along with siting slowed by recalcitrant communities unwilling to sacrifice their forest and farmland to panels and turbines, would also impact NYPA. NYPA might manage to lower costs somewhat, but the authors seem not to understand that the current grid was designed for centralized power plants which could generate electricity 24/7. Solar, which delivers 14 percent of nameplate, or onshore, wind, which generates 20 percent or so—resources which, mostly, deliver little or no energy at all—need lots of land, dedicated transmission, 20-year replacement and landfill space, new storage, as well as continued backup support which often translates to gas peaker plants. NYPA’s efforts would not change any of that.