Sierra Club Endorsement of Utility-Scale Renewable Energy Projects
by Ellen Cardone Banks
Many Sierra Club members are familiar with the carbon reduction standards in New York State’s’ 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA): 85% reduction in greenhouse gases from 1990 levels by 2050, 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 and 70% renewable energy in all sectors by 2030. Now that these goals are codified in state law, how are we going to reach them? Rooftop solar, efficient transportation, and energy conservation are all necessary but not sufficient; utility scale renewables, including land-based wind, offshore wind and large-scale solar, are essential, as Jacobson and co-authors’ calculations demonstrated in 2017.[1]
The Atlantic Chapter, in line with national Sierra Club policy, takes an affirmative stand supporting utility-scale renewable projects unless there are significant, evidence-based reasons to oppose them.
In line with this policy, a group of volunteer leaders and David Alicea, New York lead organizing representative from the Beyond Coal Campaign, have developed an assessment instrument to evaluate large-scale renewable projects with regard to:
Impact on Wetlands and Forested Areas
Impact on Birds and Wildlife
Impact of Food Production and Workers
Community Benefits: Tax Base, Local Labor Agreements, Community Engagement and Listening / Wider Community Benefits
Each topic and the subtopics of Community Benefits are to be rated on a 0, 1 or 2 scale, based on review of project proposal documents and discussions with developers, local elected officials and local residents (including local Sierra Club members), labor leaders and other community groups. Ratings and supporting data will be presented to the local group for approval and then will be reviewed by a Working Group of volunteer leaders from the chapter (Chapter Chair, Conservation Chair and Energy Chair, one leader from the local group, and a staff person from the Beyond Coal Campaign).
Of a maximum 16 points, 9–16 points would generate a formal endorsement, with 13 or more earning a stronger endorsement; 6–8 points would lead to discussions with developers to suggest siting improvements and a possible later reassessment, and 3–5 points would withhold endorsement, pending major site changes and other improvements. The Working Group has the ability to override a “Serious Concern” recommendation from a local group if a supermajority (⅘) of the Working Group so decides. If any single category receives a zero score, even if the other categories are satisfactory, the decision would be delayed until concerns are resolved.
A positive decision from the Working Group would mean that the project is endorsed by the Atlantic Chapter. The endorsement would then be communicated to our members, to the community where the project is proposed and to other interested parties. Endorsement would not be the end of Sierra Club engagement as local volunteers could continue to monitor the process, advocate for improvements when possible in categories that earned less than two points on the zero to two scale, and hold developers accountable for the highest environmental and community involvement standards.
Under the 2020 Accelerated Renewable Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act, a new Office of Renewable Energy Siting is expected to resolve the extreme delays and multi-agency fragmentary reviews that have been impeding utility-scale renewable projects. Our new chapter review process should be able to assure our members that the Sierra Club’s endorsement of these projects will be consistent with our values of environmental protection and environmental justice.
Notes
[1] https://web.stanford.edu/group/efmh/jacobson/Articles/I/CountriesWWS.pdf
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