We have just witnessed perhaps 400,000 marchers in New York City demanding that measures be taken to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Now, the state, which is making important policy decisions concerning energy and climate change, has an opportunity to be responsive to the historic march.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) has been requesting public comments to its Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) plan. At the same time, NYSERDA has been requesting comments on its Clean Energy Plan.
The support of our members will be crucial in the next year to urge an energy path for the state, which maximizes energy efficiency and the installation of renewable energy units. Both of these issues are crucial to controlling GHG in our State.
Most recently, the Chapter and Beyond Coal Campaign have submitted comments on the REV proposals. For a number of years NYSERDA has been the lead agency in the state with incentives to promote renewables and energy efficiency. The recent REV proposals indicate a possible policy shift that tasks utilities with the development of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and the efficient distribution of energy. The Sierra Club maintains that a purely market-based approach with existing utilities will not guarantee renewable energy development or improvements in efficiency. The state will have to set definite installation goals for the utilities, which can be monitored on an interim basis. A system of incentives, penalties, and guarantees would have to be imposed on utilities to insure results.
The Sierra Club is also urging that NYSERDA maintain its involvement in renewable energy and energy efficiency through customer-funded incentives. The present system can be greatly improved if NYSERDA offers regularly scheduled requests for proposals for renewable energy. The agency should also streamline contracts with its renewable energy suppliers, including the use of long-term contracts to promote stability in the renewables market.
The Sierra Club and our partners have urged several guiding principles to be followed by the PSC in establishing its REV plan. These include:
• Emissions reductions that include not only carbon dioxide but methane. A GHG reduction goal of 80% by 2050 can be insured by short-term targets, such as 14% by 2018 and 20% by 2021.
• The Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS) and Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) have been very cost effective in producing impressive economic and environmental benefits. We must expand our commitments. A goal of meeting 20% of forecasted power demand in 2025 through energy efficiency is reasonable.
• NYSERDA’s current $680 million annual program contributions to meet the state’s RPS must be expanded, not reduced. The current RPS calls for 30% of New York’s electricity to be supplied from renewable sources by 2015. While it does not appear that this goal will be met by 2015, the environmental coalition is urging that the statewide goal of 30% be extended to 2018, with a long-term renewable goal of 50% by 2025.
We are calling on our members to aid us during the coming year in these crucial energy issues with online petitions and more active involvement.
Bob Ciesielski, Chapter Energy Chair