Month: September 2020

— from the Buffalo News Editorial Board, Sept 20, 2020

Humankind has not yet invented a perfect way to generate electricity. Coal was king for more than 70 years, but mining it scars the earth, burning it releases toxic chemicals into the atmosphere along with carbon dioxide that is overheating planet Earth.

Hydraulically fractured horizontal wells made the U.S. the top producer of oil and natural gas in the world in 2018, but fracking – now outlawed in New York State – can have adverse effects on air and water quality.

Renewable energy sources – primarily solar and wind – represent the next frontier in power generation. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the State Legislature established in 2019, through state law, a target of 70% of the state’s electricity must come from renewable sources by 2030. To make that possible, the governor signed a law in April to expedite the approval of large-scale wind and solar projects.

The law removes influence that local governments and citizens have on whether those projects win approval, replacing siting boards – which included residents – with a new office to rule on such projects.

Renewable energy sources are imperfect, too. Wind turbines don’t generate power when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t always shine on solar panels. But as the technology becomes more sophisticated, including the development of batteries to store power, wind and sun energy will play a greater role in New York’s power grid. READ MORE >>

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the availability of proposed regulations that would implement the nation-leading Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act. The draft regulatory framework will dramatically speed up the siting and construction of major renewable energy projects to combat climate change and help jumpstart the state’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Act and the resulting regulations will also accelerate progress toward the Governor’s nation-leading clean energy and climate goals – including the directive to obtain 70 percent of the state’s electricity from renewable sources – as mandated under the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.  

“The COVID-19 pandemic and climate change are two of the greatest challenges New York has ever faced, but we are tackling both head-on and our nation-leading climate agenda is quickly creating good jobs and generating billions in economic investment, while ensuring that our most vulnerable communities have clean air to breathe,” Governor Cuomo said. “These regulations will supercharge our growing green economy and reaffirm New York’s position as a definitive hub of the clean energy sector through a revamped and rapid process for building and delivering emissions-free power.” READ MORE >>