The Partial Observer by Keith Schue

New York State Energy Plan Needs More Balanced Approach

As dignitaries from around the world arrive in Manhattan for United Nations climate talks this month, they might wonder what New York is doing for the planet. Will they ponder state energy policy while renting an electric vehicle at the airport, watching CNN in an air-conditioned hotel, or enjoying ice cream on a late summer day in the city? Of course, they could ask one of the many climate activists who will be marching in the streets about it. But “big green” groups influencing New York energy policy have done a remarkable job of keeping their members in the dark, so that is unlikely to provide much insight.

For all of the proselytizing by state politicians and downstate activists, we are going backward. Since the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act became state law in 2019, New York’s reliance on fossil fuels for electricity has jumped by a third. To be sure, tremendous attention has been given to the Act’s 2030 mandate that 70 percent of electricity come from “renewables.” Indeed, to the chagrin of upstate communities threatened by sprawling solar and wind projects, hundreds of square miles of farmland and nature will likely be converted to glass, copper, and steel. Yet as ink was drying on the CLCPA, the state lost its single largest source of carbon-free electricity—Indian Point—shuttered prematurely following a lengthy assault by misguided activists and a disgraced governor.

As a result, fossil fuels are being burned in giant new fracked-gas power plants—Cricket Valley Energy in Dover and Competitive Power Ventures in Wawayanda—as well as in old oil and gas plants within the greater metropolitan area that must run more. Accounting for lifecycle methane impacts, over 10 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions are being pumped into the atmosphere each year that could have been avoided if Indian Point had remained in service. But it would seem that celebrating the death of a carbon-free workhorse was not enough. Fearmongers apparently believe that beating a now-dead horse over a decommissioning process they had previously demanded will distract from the real victims: environmental justice communities whose exposure to air pollution has been prolonged by climate action in reverse.

Manufacturing hysteria may help some groups fill their coffers, but it comes at a hefty price to the planet. Decarbonizing sectors of the economy like transportation, heating, and industry will require twice as much electricity as New York consumes today. Moreover, meeting the needs of people around the world who want and deserve the same quality of life we enjoy is feeding exponential growth in the global demand for energy. Here at home, failure to provide abundant, reliable electricity means that our economy will suffer while New Yorkers struggle to pay for an inefficient grid designed around underperforming energy products made in China. Elsewhere, it means that much of human society will continue to suffer from energy poverty—and, with it, poverty of all forms that contribute to social and political desperation. And it means that climate change will exact an ever-higher toll on our collective future. A world that pretends that renewables alone are the answer to climate change is a world that will continue burning fossil fuels until they are gone.

Fortunately, awareness is growing that a more balanced approach is needed—one that does not discriminate against reliable carbon-free energy or bulldozes nature. Responding to bipartisan support for nuclear power in Congress, the Inflation Reduction Act extends benefits previously reserved for solar and wind to nuclear, and it provides support for existing reactors that are helping to limit the nation’s carbon footprint. While it may seem that our state is stuck in a dark age of fear and superstition, there is even a bit of hope for New York. The fact that our upstate grid is already low-carbon due largely to nuclear power has not gone unnoticed. The state Energy Research and Development Authority includes the ongoing operation of existing reactors in its climate models and has even put the possibility of more on the table. With its compact footprint and lower demand on natural resources than “renewables,” advanced nuclear could save hundreds of thousands of acres—farmland, forest, and wildlife habitat—from energy sprawl.

Importantly, in response to dire warnings of system failure from New York’s grid operator (NYISO), energy experts have also become increasingly vocal about the need for “firm” carbon-free generation. As a result, the state Public Service Commission recently initiated a process to evaluate additional resources needed to achieve the CLCPA’s ultimate goal of zero-emission electricity. If smart, the Commission will reconsider its current paradigm. Instead of viewing new firm carbon-free capacity as merely backup for when intermittent sources and storage are depleted, a more effective allocation of generation capacity and infrastructure can be achieved by integrating additional firm capacity—including advanced nuclear— into the backbone of New York’s energy system. Working in tandem with renewables, this would also help to facilitate a more successful deployment of solar and wind projects that is realistic, ecologically responsible, and welcomed by the communities hosting them.

Kool-Aid comes in all colors: red, blue and green. Climate change is real. However, effectively doing something about it requires solutions that work in the real world and can go the distance. Renewables like solar and wind certainly have a role to play, but they are not enough. For people and the planet, it is time to embrace nuclear power.

Keith Schue lives in Cherry Valley and has a master’s degree in electrical engineering. He is also an environmentalist, having worked for The Nature Conservancy in Florida for five years, where he gained an appreciation for finding solutions that are mutually beneficial to people and the natural world. Schue currently volunteers his time with New York Energy and Climate Advocates, a non-profit, volunteer-based organization comprised of scientists, engineers, environmentalists, and advocates for social justice.